Desks, Life and Illusions of Happiness
by Seosanimhin
Summary: Story line Follows Let Them Eat Cake. Cuddy has a new office but what she really wants is a new life, she just not sure how to get it. Lots and Lots of angst. If you read and like PLEASE comment...thats right Im pimping for reviews :D LOL
1. Chapter 1

Stepping out the cozy cocoon of her warm Lexus, Lisa Cuddy unfurled her umbrella against icy blowing rain of the early December morning. Shivering against the cold, she shrunk into her coat and cursed under her breath as the biting rain stung the skin of her legs that protruded from under her knee length skirt. Look up into the hazy gray sky she couldn't help but think how the morning weather was a perfect refection of her current mood. Gloomy as the sky above, the frigid rain seemed to serve as punctuation to her sullen attitude. In all honestly, all she really wanted to do was get back in her car, go home and curl up under a blanket on her sofa for about week and a half. She considered the thought for brief moment as she mindless chewed on her bottom lip. Looking over the hood of her car she stared across the parking lot at the building that dominated the view. Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital . Who was she kidding, she wondered, this was her home away from home; hell it was more of home than her actual residence, she spent more time with in its walls then in her home after all. Sighing a bit at the thought, she adjusted the umbrella in her hand. Her work was her life. She knew it, everyone who knew her knew it, but recently she had begun to crave a different reality, one in which she was one of those people who allow themselves personal days, people who didn't think twice about calling in sick just so they could sit home and watch bad day time TV and take naps. She wanted to be a person who didn't define their life by how they earned their paycheck, someone with a life outside the four walls of their job. She wished to be…more. A mother…a wife…hell she'd settle for being someone's best friend, but those things didn't seem to be in the cards for her. Her attempts insofar to become any of the above were all complete and utter failures, so she really could see no other choice but to accept who she clearly was meant to be. She was Lisa Cuddy, Dean of Medicine. She was not someone who took days off from work to sit home and mope. She was not mother, not wife, not even a girlfriend…she was an administrator. Her job was important and her job was her world for better or worst.

Gripping her umbrella tightly, she gave the bricks and mortar of the PPTH one final glance before sighing and shaking herself from her melancholy reverie. "Geeze Lisa, get a grip," she mumbled aloud, chastising herself for indulging in the self pity that had been tickling the back of her brain all morning. "It's just work," she reassured herself, but even as the whispered words misted the cold morning air in front of her, she knew she didn't believe them. Sighing, she resigned herself to simply burying the thought for the moment. Straightening her back and lifting her chin, she gave her head a little shake and put on a fresh layer of resolve. Turning defiantly back towards her car, she moved to gather her things from the seat when she felt her now damp skirt cling to her legs. "Damn it" she muttered, plucking at the wet fabric, "I wish it would just flippin' snow already," she grunted, grabbing her mostly full cup of coffee from the door cup holder and tossing her briefcase over her shoulder. Pushing the car door closed with the tip of her heeled foot, she turned and quickly scurried towards the front doors of PPTH and her _life_.

Stepping onto the rug inside the door, Lisa paused to wipe her feet. Lowering her umbrella, she juggled it with her coffee cup trying futilely to shake it of its excess water. Just as she was about to lose her grip on her covered java the small redheaded nurse that manned the reception desk scampered towards her. "Let me get that for you Dr. Cuddy," she offered cheerfully.

Smiling gratefully into the woman's warm brown eyes she nodded, "Thank you Meredith," she murmured as the woman took her umbrella and gave it a solid shake before closing it up.

"This weather is absolutely miserable," Meredith sighed as she moved back towards the front desk. "I can't believe you here in a skirt! Are you glutton for punishment?" she teased, a small grin turning the corners of her lips. " I would think being Dr. House's lion-tamer would more than fulfill that need," she smirked as she moved around to the opposite side of the desk.

Smiling in spite of her mood, Lisa shook her head and glanced at the smaller woman. "The fact I come in here day after day and don't fire him on the spot probably means I'm more likely mentally ill rather than a masochistic," she said dryly reaching for the pile of clinic files that filled her inbox. "As for the skirt, I've found that an appropriately fitted one, paired with a similarly fitting top, makes for not only quicker, but more lucrative meetings when it comes to old wealthy white men," she quipped as she flipped though the stack.

Meredith chuckled. "Why Dr. Cuddy I had no idea you would resort to feminine wiles to get your way," she said with mock surprise as she arranged current patient files into a rack on the desktop.

Tucking the files she had been flipping through into the crook of her arm, Lisa looked up at the nurse. "Meredith, never underestimate the power of a great skirt in the presents of old money…or for that matter, Dr House," she returned, faint amusement coloring her tone.

Meredith laughed. "Well I hope it works better on the board that it has on House," she said with a raised eyebrow as she handed Cuddy her umbrella.

Taking the damp item in one hand and her coffee in the other, Cuddy gave the women a small grin. "You clearly weren't here during the 'power suit' days. Trust me the skirt reins him in," she muttered.

Looking at her with a raised eyebrow, Meredith shook her head in disbelief. "I can't imagine such a thing," she chuckled softly.

Giving the woman a small smile and a shrug, Lisa turned toward her office. "I'm not in for another half hour if anyone is looking for me," she announced as she pushed though the outer doors of the office proclaiming her name on its glass.


	2. Chapter 2

Stepping into the small space between the clinic and her office, Cuddy glanced over at the empty desk to her right. Karen, her latest assistant, had bitten the dust last week, so there was no one to occupy the seat. In her 8 years as dean of medicine for PPHT, she had been through a half dozen personal assistances, which most administrators would consider an extremely high turnover rate, but then again most people didn't have someone like Greg House working for them either. All but one of her past employees had quit more or less because of him. He pushed them, played pranks on them, taunted them, abused them; in short treated them just like he treated everyone else in his warped world, difference was that for the $30,000 a year the job paid, no one seemed to be willing to put up with his crap for long. For the first few years she had tried to shield them from him and spent a long hours lecturing House on the subject, but just as it was with anything to do with normal human interaction and him, pointless. Now she just looked for the toughest broad that interviewed for the job. She wasn't sure it was the best way to hire for the position, but it had extended the stay of the last one to a year and a half, which was a record. She just hoped now that she found the next sacrificial victim during the interviews she had scheduled for the afternoon. She did after all like having someone to buffer her visitors, answer the phone call and most importantly, give House someone new to screw with for a few days. The clinic desk had been performing the duties of her assistant since Karen's departure, and were doing an adequate job at the first two items, but seeing as everyone on the desk were seasoned nurses, there was no chance in hell any of them were going to put up with House for even a minute. "House," she mumbled to herself. As his face played in her mind, her stomached turned in a now familiar fashion. Shoving the image away, she gave herself a shake and headed for the doors to her office. She defiantly needed a new secretary.

Stopping at the double French doors of her office, she set her coffee down on a nearby filing cabinet and reached into her bag. Digging blindly into the bottom of her damp briefcase for her elusive ring of keys, her mind aimlessly drifted back to her conversation with Meredith out in the clinic. Glancing down at her heeled feet and snuggly fitting skirt, House's voice pushed unbidden to the forefront of her brain, "Why are you dressed like that? Why do you try so hard to get my attention? Are you screwing with me?" His voice demanded as his eyes raked over her form taking their customary inventory. Closing her eyes, Cuddy pushed the memory away. It was that memory, well not only that memory but the events of the past two weeks that had shoved her kicking and screaming into her current mental state. Taking a deep breath, she shoved the thoughts away and focused her energies back to her search. Finally feeling cool metal on her fingertips, she rejoiced and pulled the ring out of her bag. Quickly picking though the jumble, she selected the correct key, slid it into the lock and gave it a turn. Pushing open one of the French doors, she grabbed her coffee from the filing cabinet and shuffled into her silent office.

Making her way to stand in front of her desk, Cuddy gratefully unburdened herself of her load. Dropping her briefcase into the chair behind her, she quickly deposited the cup of coffee she had been diligently transporting onto her desk calendar and plopped the stack of files into her inbox. Hands finally free of debris, she turned back for the door. Shutting it quietly, she moved towards the coat rack as she made quick work of unbuttoning her teal green wool coat. Tossing the coat on the nearest peg, she unwound the plaid scarf around her neck, cautiously avoiding her hair, and hung it on the next to her coat. Yawning, Cuddy rolled her head from side to side trying loosen the tight muscles in the back of her neck. The strain of the past weeks had wrecked havoc on her sleep patterns, not to mention her body. Fatigue pricked at her brain, and made her muscles ache. Letting her eyes fall closed for moment, she took a deep breath. Hanging in the air of her recently remolded office she could still detect the distinct smell of fresh paint and new carpet. Opening her eyes slowly she took in her new accommodations and felt a tinge of satisfaction. Her office looked good, great actually, especially considering the shambles it had after it had served as ground zero in a hostel armed takeover of the clinic. Her neck stiffened again as the day came back into focus. Images and feelings rushed over her in waves. Armed police, guns, panic knotting her stomach. Blue eyes looking at her through glass with a mixture concern and cocky reassurance.

"Do you have a husband or a loved one in there?" the question replayed in her brain for the hundredth time.

"No" she heard herself reply…lie. The police had known it…that she was lying.

"Hope your boyfriend knows what he's doing" they had told her.

But he wasn't her boyfriend, he wasn't HER anything. Her heart sped up in her chest. 'He's a colleague, an employee, a great doctor and on rare occasions maybe a friend, but boyfriend he is not,' she lectured to herself, desperately trying to shake the sinking feeling in her stomach and slow her heart as the thoughts tumbled about.

Glancing over at the wall she could almost swear she could still see the faint outlines of fluid script, a list of symptoms coming though the new caramel colored paint. Blowing out a cleansing breath, she took a few steps into the room and looked around, appraising her new space with an appreciative eye. The colors were perfect, very soothing, her favorite tones of caramels, browns and grays. Prints and art dotted the walls behind the small sofa on her left. She had chosen colorful pieces, some even whimsical. She liked how they brightened without oppressing everything else. Walking slowly across the room, she ran her fingers over the soft fabric of one of the armchairs. The furniture had clean modern lines and was covered in gray fabric. They were soft yet not feminine. Making her way forward in the room, her eyes next fell on her desk. Simplistic lines and rich dark wood, it was perfect, an old friend, but yet it seemed to mock her with its presence. Turning her back to it, she sunk into the very arm chair she had just touched. Staring blindly ahead at the bookshelf on her left, she desperately rallied her brain to move onto another topic, but no matter how hard she tried, the memory of the night before, which had haunted her sleep and awoken her sourly, forced itself once again to the forefront of her brain.

"It's perfect", she sighed, letting her hands fall to her side as she took in the scope of her new office.

Stopping next to her Wilson nodded slightly, placing his hands on his hips. "I like the desk" he replied, staring head at the shiny mahogany desk in the back of the room. "A lot of character," he added.

Staring head, confusion filled her. "It's not the one I ordered," she tossed back over her shoulder as she moved in for a closer inspection. Approaching the piece of furniture, a feeling of familiarity enveloped her. "This is my desk from med school!" she exclaimed, running her hands over the shiny dark surface.

Wilson's forehead furrowed, "You have it in storage or something?"

She shook her head. "My mom did!" she explained, her brain still whirling at the sight of her long forgotten friend.

"Well that was sweet of her to do that!" Wilson stated, placing his hands on his hips.

"She didn't! My mom has no idea I'm redoing my office," she stated, her mind turning over puzzle pieces of the mystery until they suddenly they fell into place. The picture they made caused her heart to race a tiny bit and her face to crease in a small smile.

Burying her face in her hands, Cuddy desperately shoved at the memories of the past few days but they barreled forward, crashing past the mental blocks she had diligently built to protect her heart. It had all started with the kiss. Two weeks ago he had walked through her door and turned everything upside down. Sure at first she had tried to dismiss it, even to him. "I was emotional because of the adoption falling though, and you actually let your human side show for a moment, that is why we kissed," she had rationalized to him, but even as the words left her mouth her stomach had fluttered from simply standing closed to him.

Lisa Cuddy wasn't stupid or unaware of herself; she acknowledged that there had always been spark between them. No one could argue with the passion they had, for the years they had and there not be some kind of chemistry, the difference now was that they had stepped over the line they had drawn in the sand years ago. From the moment she had met House there had been something, they had even spent a night in the back room of a noisy party exploring what that something was, but nothing serious had ever come of it. They were on two different paths at the time. She was an undergrad focused on becoming number one in her class and he was in the middle of his residence; eventually they lost touch. The next time their paths crossed, he was with Stacy. The chemistry was still there, but he was love with another woman, so the line was drawn. In the years that followed, even after Stacy, they had silently observed the parameters their relationship; that was until the night after she lost the adoption. That night he marched over the line, changing things...at least for her.

After the kiss, she found herself distracted to the point of absentmindedness. Never one to be caught daydreaming, she couldn't seem to not replay the kiss over and over in her head. She didn't want to remember the way his mouth felt on hers or how her body had tingled as her pulled against his chest. She wanted to forget how quickly his touch had turned her on and left her aching for more. She yearned to forget it ever happened, but instead her mind played out scenarios that not only revved up her hormones, but poked at long buried feelings.

She was determined to get back to how things were BK – before the kiss- so she had set her mind to the task. Never one to call retreat, she had went on the attack. She put all of her energy into work, scheduling meetings one after another and when her 9-5 ended, she made sure she had dinner meetings with potential donors. She worked herself until she collapsed in exhaustion and it had worked for her the most part, as long as she didn't count the vivid dreams that plagued her night after night. However, in her waking hours she was able to reign in her daydreams, containing them to vague musing versus the rather graphic thoughts of the week before. For about week she felt like she might actually be getting over it, but then the clinic had gotten held up and he had been held hostage. Sure he had exasperated the situation, really no big shock there, but his actions didn't change the fact that he had been in grave danger and that she had been powerless to help him. That day had made her consider what it would mean live in a world where Greg House was absent, and it was an unacceptable reality. Her musings led her once again to the stir of emotions she had tried to bury. As complicated as it all seemed at times, this _thing_ was actually quite simple-he was under her skin, maybe it went even deeper, she wasn't sure; all she knew was that she wanted more, which brought her to past few days and her current state.

Taking over his office had been an idea born of a bottle of wine and a late night of flipping though the handful of old college photos she had of them. Now in retrospect, she would admit it wasn't the best plan, it really wasn't a plan at all; she just woke up the next day and needed to do it. She of course deflected that it wasn't anything more than needing a place to work, but deep down she reveled in ever exchange and jab they delivered upon one another. He riled and rose to the occasion just as she knew he would. It all was going well until he cornered her about her motives.

"You're not stopping me for medical reasons; you're stopping me because you have the hots for me," he stated confidently, waving his cane at her.

Standing from where she was crouching on the floor, she sauntered towards him. "You're still here cuz you've got the hots for me," she countered with a confidence that she didn't really feel.

"Evidence by the fact, I…moved into your office," he returned, he's eyes boring into her in challenge.

His words hit her in a vulnerable spot. She knew damn well that House could see right through her motives, but wasn't about to go down that easily. "It's the biggest office, and I'm not the one who destroyed…" she defended, but was cut off by his continued interrogation.

"Why are you dress like that? Why do you try so hard to get my attention? Are you screwing with me?" he asked, his voice sounding dry and strangely serious to her as he took a step into her personal space.

Her heart pounded as his scent enveloped her. "Are you screwing with me?" she countered, moving further into the private space they now shared.

"Depends on your answer," he replied, his eyes flashing what she thought looked very much like honestly.

She swallowed, her mouth suddenly feeling dry. He seemed to be opening the door for her…so she took a breath and stepped through. "Everyone knows this is going somewhere," she said softly. He looked down into her eyes, his gaze never breaking. She couldn't quiet read what he was thinking, but she thought she saw a flicker of hope in the blue depths. She took another metaphorical step though the door, "I think we're supposed to kiss now," she said breathily.

His eyes grew hooded and dropped to her mouth for a moment before coming back to hers, the look in them changed. "We already did that," he stated.

Her pulse racing and she looked up at him hopefully, but as his hand cupped her left breast her face and her hopes fell. She glanced down at his hand, and felt her heart drop.

"Seemed like the logical next step," he quipped, his voice going back to his normal sarcastic tone.

In that moment, all her hopes that she might actually get what she wanted, crashed down on her. It took all she had to keep tears out of her eyes. "Really?" she said sadly. "I'm an idiot for being surprised," she cheerlessly replied then turned to leave.

Taking a step forward she moved away from his warmth but stopped when he didn't move his hand to let her pass. She looked up at him, his eyes were on her chest a small flicker of desire behind his pools, but then he spoke betraying the look with sarcasm, "Could you leave these?"

She shot him a look, and he dropped his hand.

She had marched out of his office, pissed, hurt, and disappointed. She wanted to run away, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction, instead she had gone on the defensive, unloading on Wilson the only person who thought maybe she and House might actually work as couple.

"House is an unemotional child, incapable of intimacy and romance. Trust me it's DONE," she bit out as she entered her office. In that moment she despised him and was desperately hoping it might stick so she might be normal again, but then she saw the desk. The piece of furniture was more than just a thoughtful gesture. House was never one for platitudes or saying sorry, but he did do actions…and this one screamed his sediments at her. As she traced her hands over the cool surface of her old desk, her feelings came sharply into focus. She didn't just want to just be near him or maybe explore what was sparking between them; she wanted to be_ with_ him. She…cared for him. As she completed her confession, her heart raced. "I like him" she whispered to herself but not softly enough to keep Wilson to hearing. His face split.

"You…what?" he asked stepping towards her.

Her eyes flew up from their locked position on the desk to the warm brown eyes of her friend. She panicked. "Nothing," she whispered, standing up straight.

Wilson shook his head, "No, there is no nothing now, I heard you. You said you like him!" he countered, smiling.

She licked her lips and averred her gaze. "I…I don't…" she mumbled, circling her desk and heading for the nearest exit.

Reaching out Wilson stopped her with a gentle hand on her bicep. "Lisa," he said softly.

She stopped and looked over at him. She chewed on her lip for a moment before speaking. "James, I think…I might…" she stammered, hating the fact she felt so vulnerable.

"You like him," he said gently.

Lisa looked into his kind eyes, "Yeah," she confirmed, a self conscious smile spreading on her face.

Wilson's eyes warmed with his smile. "I've kinda of known that for awhile," he chuckled softly.

Cuddy rolled her eyes, "Yeah, yeah, yeah," she smirked, moving to lean against the edge of her desk.

Coming to sit next to her, Wilson was silent for a moment before asking the question that hung in the air around them. "So what are you going to do about it?" he asked, gazing at the side of her face.

She looked down at her shoes and considered the question.

"You know, he's still here, down in his office I think. Maybe…maybe you could ask him out for a drink or something," he offered.

Lisa looked over at him, her heart warming. He was such a gentle soul. Giving his suggestion a little nod, she leaned over and placed a light kiss to his cheek. "Thank you Wilson," she said softly.

Smiling warmly at her, he placed a hand on the small of her back and gave her a gentle push. "I'll be expecting a play by play at lunch tomorrow," he smiled. "Well, unless you end up having sex…then I'm sure I'll get that from House so you can skip over that part," he smirked.

She chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Lunch then?" she asked bypass his last statement as she moved for the door.

"Good luck," he called as she put her hands on the handle of one of the outer glass doors.

Pausing before she pushed it open, she glanced back at him. His face was filled with sincerely hope for her. Her lips turned up at the corners, "Thanks," she whispered, then pushed through the doors.

The walk to the elevator, then the ride up to the 4th floor seemed to take forever. With every second that passed, the more anxious she grew. She wanted this to go well. Biting her lip she stared at the floor counter as it moved slowly higher. Taking a shaky breath, the doors finally opened. Pausing a moment before exiting the car, she gathered her never as a smile spread across her face. 'His gesture doesn't lie,' she told herself, then stepped into the hall. Clasping her hands in front of her, she happily played scenarios through in her mind; she nearly bounced towards his office. As she approached, the sounds of soft talking pulled her from her thoughts. Slowly, she glance around the blinds hanging in across the glass walls of House's office, she spotted where the sound was coming from. She froze mid-step.

Taking in the vignette, her mind reeled as her eyes locked on the trashy blonde standing with her hands on collar of his leather jacket. Tall, thin, bleach blonde, tattooed and dressed like a hooker, the woman was clearly a working girl…and from the looks of it she was on the job. Lisa felt her mouth go dry as House took a small step forward and leered down at the woman, a wicked smile on his face.

A million feelings suddenly crashed down on Cuddy as she stood staring at pair. She didn't need to talk with House to know he was planning on going home with the woman. She swallowed hard at realization. The very thought of him with her…trampy hooker, made her nauseous. For years House had been flippantly talking about using hookers, but she had always written off as just that, talk. Although she suspected he actually had no problem with what prostitutes did for a living, she just assumed he could get laid for free. After all he wasn't exactly hard to look at. She was sure he could pick up just about any woman he wanted in a bar for a one night stand. But as she stood there watching him interact with the woman before him, she suddenly knew she had been mistaken. She took a shaky breath and fought the emotions that pushed up through her chest, but as she blindly raced for the elevators, tears betrayed her as they traced their way down her face.

Coming out of her reverie, Lisa came back to the present. Letting the memory fade, she scrubbed her hands over her face, before she stood on weak legs. Glancing back at the desk for a moment, she moved past in and into her small attached bathroom. Stopping at the sink, she stared at herself in the mirror that hung above it for a moment. "Get a grip," she quietly demanded of herself. 'It's not like you had anything with him. You didn't lose _anything_,' her mind lectured. But in spite of her internal pep talk, her heart twisted a bit in her chest. Blowing out breath in frustration, she angrily snapped on the water facet to wash her hands. It made her mad that she couldn't shake the feeling she had been cheated on. She realized it was a completely ridiculous emotion to have, but she couldn't help it. How could he do something so…kind and thoughtful for her then turn around that very same day and sleep with a prostitute? Was he really that heartless, or was she reading more into his gesture than she should have? Neither option made her feel better. Turning off the water, she reached for a hand towel.

Wilson's voice broke the silence, causing her to jump in surprise. "Lisa?" he called out.

Looking up in the mirror, she could see his reflection looking around her empty office in confusion. "Great," she mumbled to herself. How was she going to regain control of her emotions with him poking his nose into the situation. Well he wasn't going away on his own; she was going to have to deal with him. Quickly she decided to tell him she lie to him, tell him that she hadn't caught House last night. She hoped it would be enough to satisfy him and get him out of her office so she could get her mind focused on reality, her work. "Be right out," she called around the half closed door. Straightening her spine, she looped the end of her towel though the towel rack and pulled open the door.

As she exited the bathroom, he offered her a smile. "I know you're not 'here yet' and all, but I saw your car and well, I couldn't wait till lunch," he told her sheepishly.

Standing rooted to her spot near the bathroom, Cuddy looked into his kind eyes and her resolve from moments before immediately melted away. She suddenly felt the need to unload. Hell maybe it would help her move past it. Tapping down her emotions, she crossed the room and grabbed her coat. "Let's get coffee," she said leaving no room open for discussion.

Wilson raised an eyebrow at her, and smirked. "Wow, it went well enough that we can't even talk about it in the building?" he teased following her into the outer office.

Cuddy paused, her hand on the door, then glanced back at him.

Seeing the look in her eyes, Wilson's face went from taunting to concerned in two seconds flat. "Oh, I see," he stated, understanding in his voice. Placing hand on the crook of her arm, he led her out of the office and past the clinic desk. "Come on, I'll drive."


	3. Chapter 3

Limping slowly up the sidewalk towards the front entry of PPHT, House carefully picked his way across the ice covered cement, his anger growing with each hesitant step. The morning had started off just cold and wet, but in the last hour the temperature had dropped ten degrees and turned the rain into sleet which now covered every surface making the park lot and path to the door into an ice rink. The drive to the hospital had been treacherous, but for House it was a cake walk compared to the 25 yard walk from his car to the front doors of the hospital. His cane had slipped on the slick walk twice already, nearly sending him spilling into the bushes, the mere thought of which brought his temper to right below the boiling point. Finally reaching the entry, he yanked the door open angrily and hobbled into the lobby. Making his way to the clinic desk he eyed the redhead morning nurse as she worked quietly at her computer. "Hey," he shouted, causing her to jump from her silent concentration. "You do know this is a hospital right?" he bellowed, leveling his heated eyes with her startled ones.

Staring up at a cranky Dr. House, Meredith slowly stood and steeled herself for the onslaught she knew was to come. "This…this is a hospital?" she asked derisively, looking around the clinic in mock confusion. "Hum…well that would explain the patients and doctors…" she drawled putting finger along side her mouth in contemplation.

"Yeah, this a hospital, where sick and crippled people come," House bellowed waving his cane over the desk at her in example.

Not following the point of his rant, Meredith gave him a questioning look and perched her hands on her hips to await clarification.

"Cripples and sick people don't have the strength to ice skate to the damn front door when they get here," House fumed, pointing toward the door he had just entered.

Meredith glanced briefly in the direction he indicated then turned her unfazed gaze back at him. "In case you haven't notice Dr. House, I don't wear one of little gray jumpsuit numbers that are so popular with the maintenance department; AND," she added, not backing down in spite of his fiery stare, "I haven't been outside since I got here at 4am, so forgive me if I don't know what kind of precipitation has been coming down while I've been in HERE," she said gesturing around at the clinic lobby, "diligently seeing to patients," she finished calmly before sitting down and turning her attention back to her computer screen.

House narrowed his eyes at the woman. Damn, she wasn't afraid of him anymore. He liked when the newer nurses were afraid of him. Then again, this one wasn't new was she? He started at her for a moment and tried to remember how long she had been working at the clinic. He really should pay closer attention to these things, he haphazardly considered, it made finding lackeys to cover for him during his clinic hours easier. Shrugging the thoughts off, he raised his cane over the desk and used its rubber tip to push the flat screen monitor over on its side.

Yanking her hands away to avoid having them squashed, Meredith shot House an angry look. "Damn it House," she muttered, reaching over to lift the screen back up on its base. "What is your defect? Did I do something to you in another life, or do you just HAVE to screw with someone with in the first hour of your day to keep from self destructing?" she grumbled, glaring at him.

House lifted an amused eyebrow at her. "Don't worry, it's not just you, but you might be on to something with that whole self destruction thing."

Meredith rolled her eyes as she sat back down and turned back to her work. "Go away," she muttered with quiet indignation.

Raising his cane again, House shoved her keyboard off the desk sending it clattering to the floor.

Glaring at up him, Meredith literally bit her tongue. She desperately wanted to give him the tongue lashing he deserved, but he was still her superior, no matter how big of an ass he was.

"Get off Facebook for a second and call maintenance to salt the walk," House demanded.

Swallowing her anger, Meredith calmly reached for the phone. Lifting the whole thing from its place next to her computer, she gently set it down on the wide ledge that circled the desk. "You know, I've forgotten the number. Maybe you can call one of your buddies who keeps slipping Dr. Cuddy's office key to you to come down and see to that walk," she said steadily.

House eyed the defiant woman with a little surprised. "You're mean," he stated giving her a fake hurt look before turning and limping off towards Cuddy's office. "I'm telling Mommy on you," he tossed over his shoulder as he circled the desk.

"Dr. Cuddy's not in," Meredith informed him as she put the phone back in its place.

House stopped and looked back at the nurse. He knew Cuddy's schedule, she never had meetings on Friday mornings. Friday's were when she reviewed the patient files for the week. Lisa Cuddy was a creature of habit; unless the sky was falling he knew he could always find her behind her desk between 9 and 11 on Fridays. "She hasn't come in yet?" he asked suspiciously.

Picking up the phone receiver, she rolled her eyes and refused to look back at him. "She's gone to a meeting," she stated off handedly as she cradled the handset between her shoulder and ear.

His forehead furled in suspicion, he limped back towards the desk. "Cuddy doesn't take meetings on Friday mornings," he stated, eyeing the redhead.

Glancing back at him briefly she shrugged. "She does today," she declared as she began dialing.

Coming back around the desk, House reached down and pushed down the lever in the cradle, disconnecting the call.

"I can't call maintenance if you do that," the Meredith stated with irritation.

"Who's the meeting with? How was she dressed? Would you describe it as her normal every day slutty or super slutty?" Housed quizzed. The last time she had left in the middle of the day was for an internet date he recalled. As he considered the possibility, a familiar feeling of anxiety filled him. He shoved it away and leveled his gaze at the woman in front of him. "Well?" he asked, his irritation growing.

Physically lifting his hand from the cradle, Meredith ignored House's questions and started to dial the maintenance department again.

Lifting his cane again, House waved it at her in a threatening fashion. "Haven't you learned your lesson this morning? You know I know how to use this," he stated, posing its tip over the phone in a menacing gesture.

Rolling her eyes, the nurse felt her resolve give way. 'Forgive me Dr. Cuddy," she silently prayed. "She left here 45 minutes ago with Dr. Wilson," she confessed.

House narrowed his eyes, as he turned the possibilities over in his meticulous mind. Lowering his cane, he turned away from the desk and limped towards the elevators without another word.

Meredith watched his retreating form and couldn't help but chuckle. "And your welcome Dr. House," she said with amusement. Suddenly a small voice pulled her from her trance. Turning her attention to the tinny voice inside the phone, she cleared her throat and said, "Oh…Hi…sorry…Ah, I need to get maintenance down to the main entry with some salt…"


	4. Chapter 4

Taking deep breath, House reached into his jacket pocket and grabbed the familiar orange perception bottle from its depths. Giving it a shake, he listened to the hollow sound of pills hitting plastic, as he stared at the short list of symptoms on the dry erase board in the corner. Chewing his bottom lip for a moment, he turned each piece of his most recent puzzle over in his mind. "Tularemia…no…no she has a mild rash not an ulcer," he said making a suggestion for his new patients illness then dismissing it. Mindlessly he flipped off the cap of the medicine bottle and shook out two small white pills. Snapping the lid back on, he dropped the container back into his pocket before tossing the Vicodin into his mouth and swallowing. Wiping his mind clean, House started again from the top of his list, considering each item. Just as he reached the bottom of the list, the door to his office pushed open.

Glancing up, House eyed Wilson as he crossed the office towards his desk. "Hey," he said, nodding towards the board, "Fever, headache, rash, vomiting…you like Lyme disease for those symptoms?" House asked Wilson as he lowered himself into the chair across from him.

Wilson, rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "Sore joints or stiff neck?" he asked.

Grabbing his large gray and red tennis ball, House gave it a toss into the air. "No…well at least not yet," he replied watching the ball intently.

"Could be…or Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever would fit too," he offered, plucking at a piece of fuzz on his pants.

House considered the suggestion. "No internal bleeding," he murmured, turning his gaze out the window of his office.

"Yet," Wilson countered.

House nodded slowly, taking in the bright December afternoon just beyond the glass. "Lyme Disease without sore joints and Dengue Fever without bleeding…" he muttered, giving his ball another toss.

Wilson stared at the back of House's head and wrestled with the best way to bring up the subject for which he had come all the way down the hallway for. "So I ran into Cameron and Chase in the cafeteria today, they told me about the prank you played on Taub and Kutner," he said, carefully putting a tone of amusement into his voice.

"It wasn't a prank," House countered, his eyes following a plane as it passed overhead.

"If faking a patient's death isn't a prank…"

"It wasn't a prank, it was lesson. Taught Taub and Kutner to fear my omnipresence, plus it made me $1,000 bucks," House quipped.

Wilson chuckled, "Got to give Kutner props, it takes some big ones to actually think he could impersonate you…even if it was just online."

"Kutner's an idiot," House grunted.

"An idiot with big stones," he laughed.

House shrugged a bit. He would admit the scam was pretty gutsy but the execution was completely fumbled, and that above all else, disappointed him. "Hack" he mumbled, fingering the seam of the extra large tennis ball.

"So…where did you find an actress who was willing to perpetrate you're little stunt?" Wilson asked carefully.

"Corner of 5th and Penn," House stated plainly, watching the first flakes of the days predicted snow storm begin to fall onto his balcony.

"You…hired a hooker…and brought her to the hospital?" he asked trying to sound surprised.

Hearing the change in his friend's voice, House swung his chair about, his forehead furrowed. "Out of work actresses hard to find; prostitutes set up shop on the corners,easy to find…I just using my time wisely." He stated flippantly. "Why do you care?" he asked, eyeing Wilson closely.

Shifting under Houses gaze, Wilson shrugged. "Pranks are one thing, but soliciting a prostitute for a scam and sex on hospital property…that's stupid, even for you."

"First of all, I solicited her OFF hospital property, that's what lunch breaks are for afterall;and secondly, while on HOSPITAL property she did what she was paid to do- act like a dying and then a dead patient. Now as for what happens off hospital property, that's my business," he muttered, watching Wilson's face closely.

His eye's not wavering, Wilson reclined back in his chair. "Did you arrange for Cuddy's new desk to be brought out of storage from her mom's house?" He asked, changing the subject.

House blinked and a slight smile formed on his lips. 'Ah ha and here we are, the real reason you're here' he thought eyeing his friend. "Cuddy has a new desk? Well that makes sense, she has a new office," he quipped off handedly, lifting his right leg onto the desk before crossing his left over top of it.

"It's her desk from med school. Gee, who would know about such a piece of furniture? Oh, I don't' know, maybe someone who KNEW her in med school?" Wilson tossed at him knowingly.

Smiling lazily at him, House twirled his cane between his fingers but remained silent.

"Oh come on House, you got her the desk, admit it!" Wilson said with a hint of agitation.

Shrugging his shoulders, House blinked lazily at him. "Yeah, okay I called her mom and hire guys to bring it down," he confessed, feeling a weight lift off him at the admission in spite of himself.

James Wilson squinted at him, "Why did you do that?" he asked. "I thought you said you weren't interested in a relationship with her," he poked.

House's eyebrows shot up. "Since when is getting an old dilapidated piece of junk out of moth balls and putting it in Cuddy shiny new and anally clean office equal to a proposal of marriage?" he asked, tossing his cane in the air.

Shaking his head, Wilson gave him his signature knowing grin. "You did it to be sweet and because you like her. I was there when she saw it ya know. She was thrilled. Clearly the fixture has some serious sentimental value and you knew it," he accused.

Leveling his gaze at the nosey man across from him, House couldn't help the image that forced its way into his head. The last time he had seen that desk had been the day she had graduated with her BA. He had gone up to her dorm room to wish her luck and say goodbye before he left for the summer. He had suspected at the time, it might be the last time they would see each other. He had just gotten his first real position at Boston General, and in a few short weeks she would be starting summer classes as a med student. His mind's eye brought up an image that stuck with him even now some 18 plus years later. He could see it like it happened only yesterday. Entering the room, he had found her sitting crossed legged on top of her desk going through a box of papers, sorting some and tossing others into the trash can on the floor below her. Bare footed and in an old faded t-shirt and worn jeans, her hair was still tied back in a French braid, her graduation cap still pinned in place atop her head. A minuscule smile crept across his face as the beginning of the memory began to take shape.

Wilson spotted the grin and pounced, "AH HA!" he exclaimed, waging his index finger at House. "You do like her!" he accused, slapping the desk in exclamation.

House flinched at the loud crack of Wilson's hand against the glass of his desktop. Letting the revelry of moments before slip away, he shot his friend a look. "You know, we've had this conversation before. Not only that, we had it and finished it," House smirked sarcastically, lifting his damaged leg off the desk and setting on the floor.

"That was before you went out of your way to get the desk House! You can't deny that is a gesture," Wilson argued.

Standing up, House limped over to balcony door and looked out. He didn't want to talk about this anymore. Getting the desk for Cuddy had been a last minute impulse, one he couldn't even rectify to himself, so the last thing he wanted to do was debate his motives with Wilson. "I just wanted to screw with her. I thought she'd hate the desk. Old, dusty and beat up, I figured it was the perfect 'gift' to foil her move into her new clean and sparkling office. You know how nutty she is about things being just so," House deflected.

James Wilson paused for a moment and considered his next move. "Well your hostel redecoration plans went totally sideways. Cuddy loves the desk. You should have seen her. Her eyes lit up like a kid at Christmas, that was until she realized it had to have been you who set it up…then she glowed," he recounted through a smile.

House glanced back at Wilson as the word "glowed" making its way around his brain. Shrugging half to himself and half at Wilson, House hobbled towards his desk. "It backfired, oh well. I'll just have make up for it by getting her an extra special office warming gift. I was thinking a replica of the Leg Lamp from the Christmas Story might do the trick," he said sarcastically as he moved towards the door that led from his office to the hallway.

Reaching out, Wilson stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. Licking his lips, he debated what to do. He had told Lisa he wouldn't meddle, but the abundant amounts of miscommunication going on here was more than he could stand. 'Sorry Lisa', he offered up silently. "She came to find you last night, wanted to thank you for the desk…" Wilson started but then trailed off.

House looked down at Wilson for a moment and tried to figure out what he was getting at. "Well, she must have figured out the desk was a joke, cuz she never came to see me, in fact I haven't talked to her since she moved her big tuckus out of my office ," he dismissed haphazardly as made a move for the door again.

Tightening his grip on House's arm, Wilson took a step back and to the side so that he was now standing directly in House's escape route. "You're wrong," he said his voice void of the pervious lighthearted banter.

Eyeing him carefully, House took a step a back and leaned heavily on his cane. He was quickly tiring of this conversation. "Okay, so are you going to make me keep guessing or are you going to tell whatever it is you found out while having coffee with Cuddy today?" he asked, cutting to the chase.

Wilson blinked up at him in surprise, "How did you kno…" he began to say.

"Remember, Omnipresent," he shot back, tapping his cane impatiently on the carpet. "So…" he smirked.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Wilson took a deep breath. "She did come up here last night, but it seems you had some ahhh…." he stammered for a moment looking for the right words "…company," he finally concluded.

House eyed him for a moment, as the understanding of what his friend meant filtered through his brain. Cuddy had seen him with Candy, the star of his little play, last night. A strange feeling turned his stomach and increased his heart rate. Swallowing around lump that had formed in his throat, he worked hard to keep his face neutral. "Yeah, so," he said flippantly.

Wilson rolled his eyes, "What the hell House!" he exhaled. "You really went through all the trouble of getting the desk and doing something nice for her only to turn around and take a hooker home to bed with you the very same day?" he exclaimed his voice stained with slight disgust. "What is wrong with you?"

In spite of the strange inner turmoil building in his gut, anger flared in House. "Who I fuck is none of your or Cuddy's business," he stated, struggling to keep his voice even and empty of emotion.

Closing he's eyes for a moment, Wilson shook his head sadly. Slowly opening his eyes, he stared unflinching at him. "You know, you've been right all along. You shouldn't date her. You'll never be able to see beyond your selfish and self destructive behavior to ever be good enough for her anyway. The one thing I can't figure out however, is why you felt the need to screw with her. I mean, I know you both like to push each other's buttons, but why fuck with her emotions…there's nothing in it for you? If you really don't have feelings for her why bother with the desk? Hell for that matter, why kiss her to start with?" He asked, his voice growing louder as he ranted.

House bristled. "How the hell do you figure any of this is YOUR business?" he shouted. "This is my life, I can fuck it up any way I want," he growled and started moving for the door again.

Throwing his hands in the air, Wilson let out a frustrated sigh. "It becomes my business when I have to spend an hour consoling a crying woman!" he fumed.

At his words, House stopped dead in his tracks. He could hardly imagine Cuddy crying. She was the strongest women he knew. The very thought through him into a mental tailspin. "Crying?" he asked, his voice low, his eyes on the carpet.

Wilson turned to look at him. "Yes, as in tears," he affirmed, his voice still holding an edge. The truth was there hadn't been crying technically. Her eyes had welled up on a couple of occasions, but to Wilson that was as good as crying for a woman like Cuddy. The fact her emotions where that close to the surface, only proved to him how hard this whole fiasco was on her and that was something House needed to realized. So he went with the little white lie, yes she had cried.

House let his eyes slip closed as he imagined her gray blue eyes full of tears. "Why is she getting so upset? It was just a desk…I never…" he trailed off, his thoughts muddling his words.

Taking a tentative step forward, Wilson couldn't help but feel for his friend. Ever since Stacy, he had watched House run from any woman who took any sort of interest in him. It had been after the break up that he had taken up using prostitutes. As far as Wilson knew, House had only one single night of sex in the past seven years in which he hadn't paid for and that was the night he had had an affair with Stacy a couple of years ago. Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly. "Look I know you don't like to let people in, House. But I hate to break it to you, Cuddy's already on the inside you perimeter fence, and has been in for a hell of a lot longer than you willing to admit, longer than I have even. Look, I realize that taking the next step with her means that maybe things might not work out, but…what if they do?" he asked, eyeing House's face closely for a reaction.

Looking up from the floor, House stared blindly out into the hall. A hundred thoughts turned through his brain at once, accompanied by just as many emotions. He recognized regret, self loathing, doubt, and maybe even a little twinge of hope, but above all else he felt fear. He feared change, all forms of it. From simply being able to take an honest look at what he was feeling to facing possible disappointment; fear is what paralyzed all change in his life. The sad part of it all was he didn't have a problem recognizing his issues; it was that he was completely incapable of altering that reality. He couldn't deal with this now, he decided driving the thoughts back into their usually hiding spots. Straightening his spine he started for the door again.

"House!" Wilson exasperated at the non-response.

Lifting his hand, House pointed to his watch. "Got go, Clinic duty," he quipped pushing through the door and stepping into the hallway.

Following him out and towards the elevator, Wilson blew out a frustrated breath. "So you're what, not going to even acknowledge everything I just said?" he asked as they stopped at the elevator doors.

Jabbing the down call button on the wall, House shook his head. "Exactly. You said it yourself, I'm not good enough for her," he tossed back as the elevator door opened. "Mind as well let her off the hook now before the Big Bad Greg actually does something that will really make her cry," he snipped sarcastically as he stepped into the empty elevator car. Turning around, he glanced up at Wilson who still stood in the hall, his face veiled with a mixture of pity and sadness. Placing a hand on the door to keep it from closing, House tugged on his bottom lip with his teeth in contemplation. Finally he spoke. "Trust me Wilson, she'll be much happier not having me around to screw with her heart," he murmured with quiet honesty, before dropping his hand to let the elevator door slide closed.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The soft tap of fingers against a keyboard mixed with a gentle drone of voices from a radio atop a bookshelf in the corner, filled Lisa Cuddy's office with the quiet sounds of her work. Grabbing her mouse, Lisa tapped it twice, effectively sending the last of her email correspondence scurrying across the World Wide Web. Finally finished returning her long list of emails, she maneuvered the mouse up and signed out of her inbox before leaned back in her chair and giving her body a well deserved stretch. Stifling a yawn with the back of her hand, Cuddy glanced across her office at the clock near the door. Her eyes widened in surprise as she registered the time that it read. She could hardly comprehend that it was 3:55pm. She had been working at her desk non-stop since Wilson had dropped her off at her office door some six hours earlier, having not stopped for so much as a bathroom break since then.

Coffee with Wilson had turned into much more than she had intended. All she had meant to do was let off a little steam in hopes of freeing her mind of all things Gregory House, but then again maybe she was deceiving herself on that fact. Truth was if she wanted to bad mouth House and wanted someone to just sit and agree with her, Wilson wasn't the right man for the job. He was House's best friend and was blatantly for a House/Cuddy romance. James was not afraid to admit that House was bastard most of the time, but he was also the first to point of out how and why she and House were maybe not the worst idea in the world as well. And damned him if he wasn't right, for as much she wanted to just hate House or simply be indifferent to him, the fact of the matter was there was _something_ between them, something that just…clicked. In the past year she had been out with many men, of which the most she could say of the best of them was that they were big dull dudes. Sure she had been sexually attracted to a few, but not one of them had been able to stimulate her mind, as well as her body, like House. Simply arguing over a crazy procedure with him did more to turn her on than all the candle lit dinners and wooing her past dates had done to try to win her. Now, she would be the first to admit that House was rude, abrasive and crude, but he was also completely brilliant, truly funny and when he put his mind to it even sweet. He made her think. He pushed her to be more and he never let her settle for second best, not to mention what he did to her physically. As his intense blue eyes passed though her mind, Cuddy gave herself a shake. This was the very reason she had dove into her paperwork…she needed to put this vicious circle of thoughts to rest. After all if he wasn't willing to consider something more between them why bother with her musings about him?

Shaking her head a bit, Lisa pushed her chair back from her desk and stood. Making her way to the small coffee maker near the door, she grabbed the pot and went to the bathroom and filled it. After dumping the water in and filling the basket with coffee grounds, she flipped the switch. As the familiar sound of water heating filled the room, she turned her eyes up and out through the glass walls of her office. As she waited for the coffee to finish, she gazed out at the bustle of the clinic. She watched as nurses answered phones and tapped away on computers and as patients sat waiting, some of their concerns obvious even through the glass, others not. Watching everything and nothing at the same time, Cuddy's mind wandering once again to her morning conversation with Wilson.

"_I just…I mean, I guess I always figured he'd never be so hard up that he'd actually have to pay to get laid," she mumbled into her latte then set it down without having taken a drink._

_Wilson smirked at her, "Interesting choice of words," he quipped under arched eyebrows._

_In spite of her mood, Lisa couldn't help by smile a little. "You know what I mean," she sighed, picking up her coffee again, "It's not like House is exactly homely. I find it hard to believe he can't find a single girl at a bar he can take home and have his way with," she sighed setting her cup down again without drinking. _

"_Would the idea that he has continual one night stands with random women be easier for you to accept than him sleeping with prostitutes?" James countered gentle._

_Lisa shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She hadn't considered that before. What if House has spent to last 10 years sleeping with every nurse in the hospital? Would that be easier for her to swallow? Was it even any of her business what he did and whom? They were, after all, only friends…well kissing friends; but it wasn't like House was trying to bed her, nor had he shown any interest in being more than feuding co-workers. Looking down into her cup, she let the thoughts percolate. "I don't like the idea of him sleeping around either," she finally admitted slowly, not looking up from her cup._

_Wilson nodded and reached across the table. "Lisa, he lonely and…" he began._

_Looking up, Cuddy shook her head slightly cutting him off. "I wouldn't like it, but on the other hand it doesn't make me as sad," she confessed softly. "The fact he…chooses prostitutes… that he thinks they are the best he can do, the best he deserves, that's worse. It…it makes me profoundly sad really," she murmured, swallowing hard against the tears that threatened to fall._

_Tilting his head to one side, James considered her for a moment. "I wish there was something I could say…."_

_Holding a hand up, she shook her head. "No…I…I know it's who…" she stammered searching for the right word. Swiping at the unshed tears in her eyes, she collated herself a bit before continuing. "You don't need to say anything," she redirected, this time with a little more confidence in her voice._

_Wilson nodded and watched her as she turned her steady eyes once again to her untouched, and now probably cold, cup of coffee. Clearly choosing his words carefully, he reached across the table and slid her coffee away, which brought her eyes to his. "He's miserable," He began._

_Cuddy looked up at him and gave him a look that screamed, 'duh!' _

_James chuckled and raised a hand. "Misery isn't the illness, it's a symptom." He continued a little more seriously. _

_Lisa shook her head in confusion. "And what, misery likes company?" she quipped._

"_Well…in House's case, yes, but that's not what I'm saying. The core of House's issue is loneliness and fear," Wilson deducted. "He craves relationships, but his life hasn't played out well in that area so, he withdrawals out of fear of being hurt again and in turn he becomes miserable. My theory is this; House meets girl," he smirked, pointing at her with a small smile on his face before continuing, "House falls for girl. House gets the relationship he deeply craves. House starts to see that change isn't as scary as he thought and there ends misery" he finished with a self satisfied smile._

_A soft smile floated across Cuddy's face. "You're such a romantic James," she said softly, "and a misguided optimist," she sighed._

_Wilson shrugged and reached across the table to take her hand. "I'm not delusional enough to think that a relationship is going to change his personality, he's always going to be a misanthropic asshole, but I think he'll be less miserable, which will make him a tolerable misanthropic asshole," he laughed lightly. "Plus, you like that he's a bastard, so that works for you," he smirked, giving her hand a squeeze. _

_Lisa smirked and rolled her eyes a bit. Taking a long breath she tried to clear her stomach of the knots that had taken up residence there. "Honestly, I'm not sure if I can take the strain of having him continually bait me and rebuff me," she lamented. "I'm interested, but I'm not sure he is," she stated softly._

_A wide smile spread across Wilson's face. "Oh he's interested, I have no doubt about that," he offered up encouragingly. "Now getting him to admit that…" he trailed off._

_Lisa shook her head sadly; "It seems like an awful lot of work for…" she began._

"_Happiness?" Wilson finished for her._

_Cuddy smirked and shook her head a bit at the man in front of her. "You ARE a compulsive romantic," she teased as she stood up and reached for her coat draped on the back of her chair._

_Wilson looked up at her. "Yeah, I know. Why do you think I've been married three times?" he laughed, standing as well._

_Shrugging on her teal green wool coat, Lisa sighed. She felt better for having unburdened herself of happenings of the night before, but still deep down in the pit of her stomach worry and dissatisfaction turned, making her feel slightly nauseated. Shrugging off the feeling, she quickly buttoned her coat as Wilson did the same. Finally fully vested for the cold hats, gloves and scarves, she and Wilson made their way towards the exit in silence._

_Stepping out of the small coffee shop, Wilson at her side, Cuddy blinked against brightness of the newly fallen layer of snow. "Wow, how long were we in there," she quipped as she picked her way carefully along the snowy sidewalk._

"_Well its better than the sleet," Wilson offered placing hand under her elbow in support as they made their way across the icy sidewalk. Lisa smile at the gesture. A gentlemen through and through, she mindlessly wondered why she couldn't just be attracted to Wilson. James continued, "You know with the holiday season just a couple weeks away, I'm rather glad for the snow," he reflected as the approached his car._

_Cuddy nodded, but didn't reply. Until just now she hadn't really registered how close the holiday season really was. With everything going down with Joy and the strangeness that had followed between she and House, she hadn't taken the time to embrace the season. She generally loved this time of year. The lights, the music, the silly holiday specials on TV, she reveled in it all, but her life of late had completely distracted her, and now here she stood half way through December feeling like the Grinch. _

_Pushing the unlock button on his key fob, Wilson moved to open the passenger side car door for her but suddenly paused, his hand resting on the door handle. Cuddy looked up at him silently and waited him to speak the thoughts that played clearly on his boyish face._

"_Lisa, I know I'm pushing you on this House thing, but I want you to know I'm not only doing it for House's benefit. He is my friend, but you are too. I wouldn't suggest it if I didn't think it would good for both of you. You know that right?" He asked, a sliver of concern coloring his voice._

_A faint smile turned Lisa's lips. Lifting a gloved hand, she rested it on along his jaw. "I know," she said softly, "I just need to be as positive as you are. You understand right?" she asked._

_Looking into her eyes, Wilson hesitated a moment then gave her a small nod. Patting his face affectionately, Cuddy impulsively went up on her toes to place a quick peck to the opposite cheek. Coming back onto her heels, she looked up into his warm face. "Such a romantic," she sighed through a smile._

_Wilson shrugged, "Well someone has to play cupid," he smirked, pulling open her door. _

_Rolling her eyes playfully, Lisa slipped pass Wilson and sunk into the seat of the car._

Bringing her hands to her eyes, Cuddy rubbed her eyes gingerly. Grunting softly, she let out a long breath. She desperately wished she could shut off the continuous instant replay her brain insisted on looping over and over again, yet it seemed as if no matter what she did it stuck, it's strange footage flavoring all her passing thoughts with the distinct essence of Gregory House. Literally giving herself a shake, Lisa turned towards the coffee pot. Grabbing the handle of the small four cup pot, she made quick work of filling a mug with the fresh brew and dumping in some cream. Picking up her steaming cup, she took an appreciative sniff. She sighed as the comforting smell enveloped her and her thoughts turned once again to work, the one place she had found to hide today. 'A cup of coffee, then I'll start on the patient files,' she told herself as she turned once again to the window overlooking the clinic. Watching once again the stirrings just beyond the glass for a moment, Lisa couldn't help but smile a bit despite her mood. She liked watching her hospital running at its best, as it was today. It moved like a well oiled machine, one for which she was the chief mechanic.

Indulging herself for a moment, Lisa reveled in the efficiency and success she had brought to PPHT in her relatively short tenure as its master. The number one hospital in the state of New Jersey and the number four top teaching hospital in the US, she rightly deserved to be proud; but even as the warm glow of satisfaction began to cover her, the one rusty, squeaky wheel in her machine suddenly appeared in the flesh limping out of an exam room, a file in hand. Blinking a few times as if it would clear House from her visual field, she shook her head a bit as her mind tried to wrap itself around what she was seeing. "Is he actually working?" she wondered in amazement. Her eyes locked on his tall lanky form, she watched as he limped over to the admission desk, dropped the file in his hands into the in box and pick up a new one. It sure looked like work, she realized with surprise.

For a long moment she simply stared at him. It wasn't often that she could just watch him, at least not without him grilling her about it or making some boorish remark at her expense. Tilting her head to one side she took an inventory of the man who had turned her life upside down and backwards over the past few weeks. Rumpled, unshaven, old faded sneakers and not so much as a sliver of a smile on his solemn face, she smirked, at the site. Most people in her life would laugh if she told them she was attracted to a man like House. They had ever right to be suspicious though, House certainly didn't fit the mold of the kind of men she was known to go out with. Her "type" was much more put together then House could ever be, even on a good day. She wouldn't deny that she liked a man in an expensive suit, fine Italian shoes and a tie that cost as much as her mortgage. She, after all, only dated successful men and with that status in life came a certain look she had become accustom too, at least that was till now.

Smiling a little to herself, she watched as House bantered with the nurse at the admission desk. He was wearing one of his customary wrinkled oxfords today, a light blue one. She liked that color on him; it served to intensify the blue of his eyes, the most intensely blue eyes she had ever seen on a person. Sighing, she nibbled her bottom lip thoughtfully, he was handsome she conceded. He was tall and lean, and though she hadn't seen him san his clothing since his infraction, she could tell that, in spite of his Vicodin habit and bad leg, he was rather fit for a man of his age. His face had also aged in the years she had known him. Though now his skin showed the map of his life, his features were still defined. Nope, no one could deny that he was good looking, but that wasn't all there was too him either and as much as she wished it wasn't her reality, she was completely taken by his solemn character.

Bringing her coffee cup to her lips, Cuddy blew the steaming from the top of the brew as she continued to watch House shuffle through a stack of files, then snickered softly when the nurse opposite him made a face and snatched the folders from his hands. "He really knows how to turn on…," she began through her half smile, but suddenly stopped as the events of the night before washed over her, rinsing the smile from her face. Despite her desire to force the images way, she couldn't help herself as her mind's eye pictured the bleach blonde woman touching House and his smiling face returning her advances.

Shutting her eyes against the tears that filled them, she took in a shaky breath. Abruptly setting her second cup of untouched coffee down on the shelf in front of her, Lisa turned her back on the sight of him. Swallowing the bile that raised in her throat, she slowly opened her eyes and stared blindly out at the snow falling just beyond the glass of window behind her desk. Mindlessly turning a ring on her finger, she tried desperately to put her thoughts in an order that didn't include House or the blonde hussy, but failed miserably.

Grunting in frustration, she lifted her arm and glanced down at her watch. Six minutes past four. Staring at the numbers, she immediately made up her mind. It was after four on a Friday, she was going home. Later she would confess to herself that she had been running, but at the present she could care less. Quickly packing up the remaining files she needed to go over into her briefcase, she paused only long enough at the door to pull on her coat and check to be sure House had disappeared into an exam room once again. Satisfied that the coast was clear, she stepped out into her outer office, locked her door, and tossed her briefcase over her shoulder. Striding purposefully out into the lobby of the clinic, she paused only briefly to inform the head nurse she was leaving, before turning and bolted for the exit.


	6. Chapter 6

Limping out of Exam room four, a swab sample in his free hand, House made his way to the admissions desk. "Send this to the lab," he ordered, tossing the swab onto the desk top in front of the nurse.

Giving him an annoyed glare, Missy picked up the sample and placed it in the outgoing lab box near his elbow. "Why must you do that?" she grumbled, snagging the patient file from his hand.

House shrugged. "It's hard to say," he snipped with a smirk, "mostly I just like to see the nursing staff doing their JOBS," he quipped putting emphasis on his last few words for effect.

Missy laughed out loud at the comment. "And you're what, employee of the month?" she smirked handing him another file.

"I save lives," House retorted.

"Yeah upstairs you do but down here you just hide and play your Gameboy."

"It's a PSP. Learn your game systems," he corrected, picking up the swab the nurse had just put in the lab box he waved it at her. "And um, what do you call this?" he asked.

Rolling her eyes, she snatched the specimen from him. "One day of actual work down here doesn't make up for the other four days you were supposed to be here this week, or for the other countless days this month that you just hid out down here," she argued tossing the swab in the box again.

House eyed her for a moment. "Since when did all the nurses down here get so uppity?" he asked remembering his run it with Meredith earlier that day.

Plopping down in her chair, Missy picked up the chart she had been looking at before he had interrupted her and began to read. "Since we started the "Make Dr House Actually Work" club," she bantered, flipping the page in the chart.

"You have a whole club just to talk about lil-o-me?" House asked with false sweetness.

"Yah we meet right after the "House is an Ass," support group," she snipped, glancing up from the file.

Squinting his eyes at her, House flipped open the new file he had been handed. "Oh that's good one," he snarked sarcastically.

"Yeah, well we're running out of nights to hold the different meetings to bitch about you, so why don't you limp on over to exam room one and let us off the hook one night a week," she teased, pointing in the direction of the exam rooms.

House couldn't help but smile a bit to himself. He liked when the nurses were afraid, but he liked it even more when they stood up to him. He liked Wilson and Cuddy for the same reason, they argued with him, engaged him.

"You're actually here and smiling about it?" came Wilson's voice from the other side of the desk.

Glancing up, House eyed his friend as he approached. "Well seeing as it's," he paused and looked at his watch, "4:30 pm, I'm done for the week…at least with clinic duty, so what's not to smile about?" he asked rhetorically, tossing the file Missy had just handed him into her lap.

Missy glared up at him. "You're off at 5pm Dr. House," she grumbled, plucking the red folder from her lap and holding back up to him.

House shrugged. "Guess I'm just going to fill up your whole week hu?" he smirked sarcastically.

Looking up at Wilson, Missy pleaded silently with him to reason with House. Wilson raised his hands and shook his head. "Sorry, you'll have to go to Cuddy about clinic stuff, I'm staying out of it. Trust me I play enough interference just trying to be his friend," he chuckled.

Giving House the evil eye, the blonde stood up and strode off toward the exam rooms, undoubtly looking for another, more cooperative doctor to take the case.

"She looks please with you," Wilson smiled, coming to stand next to House at the desk.

"Ah, she just frontin'. She told me just a few minutes ago that she's vice president of my fan club," House smirked, proud of his use of what he considered to be Ebonics.

Wilson smiled and shook his head. "So, I'm on my way out. You wanna go to BJ's for beer?" he asked redirecting the conversation.

"Can't, my patient is still dying," House declined, making his way around the desk to grab the sign out clip board.

"Oh. Well…do you want me to bring ya back a burger from BJ's? I'll even eat some of it before I give it to you so you still feel like your stealing it from me."

Signing his name next to the 5 o'clock slot on the form, House looked up at him. "Why don't you grab something for both of us and we can eat here. I got a new monster truck DVD; we can watch it while my minions run tests on Karen," he suggested as he tossing the clip board on to the desk and began making his way towards the exit doors of the clinic.

"You patient's name is Kimberly," Wilson corrected. "As for dinner, sure, fine, why not," he agreed, following House out of the clinic. "So…cheese, no cheese?" he asked shrugging on the coat he had been carrying.

"Cheese and make it a double, didn't get a chance to pick off your plate at lunch today so I'm starving." House lamented as he limped slowly towards the elevators.

"You know House, you are not only a doctor, but the head of a department, you could probably afford to buy your own lunch once in awhile," Wilson countered, draping his scarf around his neck.

"But then where would I get the money to pay for porn?" House tossed back as he pushed the button to call the elevator.

Wilson shook his head chuckling. "You know, I just so happen to know a girl who would probably let you look at her naked for free, but then again you might have to actually be nice to her so that probably wouldn't work out," He trailed off, a smug smile on his face.

"Jimmy, if you plan on buying me dinner so you can lecture me like my mom, then you can keep your burger and fries," House warned, looking up at the counter as it slowly counted down towards the L for lobby.

Wilson sighed. There was no point in pushing him. He would talk when he wanted to and not before. "Fine. So, fries and slaw?" he asked, backing towards the exit doors just as the elevator slid opened.

"Yeah, and a chocolate shake," House ordered stepping into the empty awaiting car.

Giving him a nod, Wilson turned for the door. "Be back in 20," he stated, before slip out the door into the cold December night.

House watched his retreating form until the elevator doors slid closed. Staring blankly at the call buttons arranged to the left of the door, Wilson's statement played over in his head. "…I know a girl who would probably let you look at her naked for free…" Suddenly Cuddy's face drifted through his mind. Without thinking, he reached out and pushed the button to open the doors. Stepped out the elevator and back into the lobby, House slowly limping across the shiny gray tile of the main entry and Cuddy's office.

Pushing through the doors of the clinic, he circled around the admission desk but stopped short of Cuddy's outer doors when he noticed the lights were off. "Where's Dr. Cuddy," he asked Missy without looking back at her.

"She left at four, which means I'll have to wait till Monday to tell her you left early from the clinic," she mumbled in response.

Turning towards the desk, House eyed the nurse as she scratched out the 5 next to his name and replaced it with 4:30. "Cuddy never leaves early," he said suspiciously.

"Well, she has two years of vacation and three years of sick leave that she's hasn't taken, so going home an hour early really isn't a felony offence, now is it?" she rebutted, putting the clip board away in her desk drawer.

Looking back at the dark office, House shook his head. "No…But Cuddy never leaves early," he stated emphatically, moving towards the double doors leading to the outer office.

Standing up Missy frowned at his retreating back. "And where exactly are you going Dr. House?" she demanded.

Pausing, his hand on the handle of the door, House glanced over his shoulder at her. "Thought that was relatively obvious," He stated, pointing at the glass doors in front of him. "I'm going into Dr. Cuddy's office," he said slowly, as if she might not understand him.

"She's not in, her office is locked up," the blonde stated blandly, her hands on her hips.

Pulling a ring of keys from his pocket, House shook them at her. "Not for long," he said moving to push the door open again.

"Dr. House!" Missy called out coming around the desk.

Turning around in the doorjam, House gave the woman a look that stopped her in her tracks. "Look, I'm a head of a department, sometimes I need to get files from this office, hence the key," he stated in a voice that dared her to argue with him.

Squinting up at him, the blonde sighed in defeat. She knew that Dr. Cuddy hadn't provided him a key, everyone on the nursing staff knew that, but she also knew that House could make her life miserable if she tried to get in his way. He was a doctor; she was nurse, end of story. "Fine, whatever, but be aware that I will be telling Dr. Cuddy that you needed to get a "file," she said adding air quotes around the word file for emphasis, "first thing Monday morning," she sighed moving back around the desk.

"You do that," House quipped, smiling in victory. Turning on his heels, he stepped out of the doorway and into Cuddy's outer office. Hearing the door close softly behind him, he flipping through the ring of keys until he found the one he had marked with a 'C' in permeate marker. Sliding it into the lock, he gave it a turn and stepped quickly into the dim office. Stopping just inside the door, he took a deep breath as the door clicked closed behind him. It still smelled of new carpet and fresh paint.

Glancing around the room he took a quick inventory, looking for anything that might clue him into why the small brunet was not sitting hutched over her desk like she should be. At his right he noticed a pot of coffee and full untouched mug sitting next to it. Reaching over, he touched the cup. Cold. "Hummm," he mumbled to himself, as his mind began to spin together scenarios. Tossing his cane over his right wrist, he picked up the cup in one hand and grabbed the pot with the other. Limping carefully over to attached bathroom, he quickly dumped both vessels down the drain of the sink. Turning on the tap, he rinsed the items thoroughly before returning them back the shelf by the door.

Puffing out his cheeks for a moment, he blew out the air as he moved towards the desk. Hooking his cane on the back of her hair, he sank slowly down into the smooth dark leather, his eyes locking on the piece of furniture in front of him for a moment. Running his fingers over the shiny surface, he took in all the small imperfections as well as the mirror like shine that shimmered under his hand. It had been more years than he cared to remember since he had actually laid eyes on piece of furniture. A slow smile spread across his face as the memory that Wilson had rudely inturped earlier that day rushed back to the front of his brain.

_Trudging up the last flight of stairs of the ancient five story walk up, Greg House paused at the top to hold open a fire door open as two guys carrying a loveseat passed through and headed down the stairs. The whole building was liken to that of an ant hill today as the soon to be former tenants of the student housing facility performed their annual summer evacuation of the property. People crowded the hallways and stairwells carrying boxes, bags and furniture out of rooms and down the stairs to awaiting cars at the curb. Stepping through the door into the more dimly lit hallway, House couldn't help but notice that the air around him seemed to spark energy. The promise of a summer reprieve from their studies seemed to have everyone who passed him smiling and laughing. Making his way down the hall, he nodded acknowledgements occasionally at the people passing him as he picked his way down the crowded hallway._

"_Hey Greg," a female voice called out as he passed. Turning around he found a firey redhead beaming at him from her doorway. _

_Coming to a stop at the sound of his name, he turned around and spotted the person from whom it came. He recognized the girl but didn't remember her name, he wasn't even sure he ever knew it, despite of the fact she had spent the last nine months chatting him up in hallway whenever he came to visit Lisa. Hell, he was pretty sure he had even been to her room for a party earlier that year, but her name, that he couldn't recall. All he did know for sure about this girl was that she came onto him every chance she got. While flattered, after all she was pretty in her own way, he just wasn't into chicks who were so blatant about wanting to jump him. He preferred to be the chaser. Not to say he didn't like a girl who knew what she wanted, he did, but out right slutiness really didn't do much for him. He like brains and banter mixed with curves and sex appeal, hence his preference to the brunette down the hall. _

"_So, what are you doing for the summer?" the redhead asked, her eyes grazing hungrily over his form._

_House repressed the desire to roll his eyes. "I'm moving." He stated blandly._

_Her forehead wrinkled and a pout formed on her lips. "Oh, no! Will you be back in the fall?" she asked, moving out of the door to stand in his personal space._

_Raising his eyebrows, he glanced down at her sex kitten pout. 'Geeze', he thought to himself. "Nope. I'm blowin' this popsicle stand. Goin' to work at Boston General," he stated taking a step back._

_The girl he had named Red in his mind, followed his retreating form. "Oh…" she said in low voice, "well that's too bad. I was really hoping to get to know you better…if you catch my drift," she said in a low voice, placing a hand on his chest._

_Clearing his throat, House took her hand from his body and pushed it back towards her own. "Trust me, I read you loud and clear. This is the same come on you've been tossing in my direction all year," he stated plainly, tired of playing her game. _

_Taking her hand from his, Red tossed her head in the direction of her room. "Well?" she cooed, a red eyebrow arching up towards her hair line. _

"_Really?" Housed asked, surprised by her persistence. "I mean, I've turned you down, what a half dozen times over the last nine months, and you're still willing to jump my bones despite the fact I would only be using you?" he asked condescendingly._

_She shrugged and batted her eyelashes at him. "You're hot. I want to do you. Is that clear enough?" she returned, unfazed by his canter._

"_Yeah," he smirked, "perfectly. See the thing is this…" he said, then leaned into her to speak softly into her ear, "I'm just not into you."_

_Following suit, Red moved her lips to his ear. "You don't need to be INTO me, just IN me," she murmured._

_Chuckling and shaking his head, House placed his hands on Red's shoulders and moved her away from him. "Well, I give you an A for effort," he stated, dropping his arms to his side once she was a safe distance away, "but it's not going to happen."_

_The pretty girl's forehead wrinkled in frustration. "Why not? What does that doughty old bag," she snapped pointing towards Lisa's room, "have that I don't?" She demanded._

_His eyebrows shot up in surprise. It never ceased to amaze him how women could turn on each other over a man. He knew that Lisa and this girl weren't best friends or anything, but he was pretty sure they were at least friendly acquaintances; but throw a penis in the mix and Red was ready to flash her claws. Irrationality over took common sense, and anger and embarrassment made her assertions boarder on the absurd. Although Lisa had a couple of years on this girl, she was far from any of the things Red was accusing her of. Lisa was attractive, well liked and anything but a stick in the mud and in spite of Red's conclusions, he and Lisa weren't couple, at least not in the strict sense of the word. He did spend a bit of time with her, and they had even known each other in the 'biblical sense' on couple of occasions, but they weren't a thing, so the fact that this girl saw Lisa a threat was ridicules. He could sleep with Red if he wanted to, he was technically free to 'do' whomever he wanted, he just chose not to do her and that pissed her off. _

_Stepping away from the now ferial female, House began inching his way down the hall. "I like doughty; it's a HUGE turn on, if you catch my drift," he winked, nodding towards his nether reigns. He was rewarded with an icy glare, which in turn only encouraged a smile from him. "Well I gotta go, Lisa said she'd wear the baggy sweater and granny panties for me today, so…." he drew out sarcastically._

_Squinting at him angrily, the redhead moved back into her doorway. "You're loss then," she returned hotly._

_House shrugged. "I can live with that," he snipped, then turned and walked away from her. Hearing her door slam shut, a satisfied smile crept across his face as he slowed to a stop just outside Lisa's door. Cracked open about a foot, he peered silently into the room. Sitting cross legged atop her desk amidst a sea of paper was the women for which Red was ready to kill, her forehead furled in concentration. His first genuine smile of the day creased his face. She looked cute dressed in faded denim and an old tee shirt, her graduation cap still perched on her head. "Knock, Knock," he called out stepping over the thresh hold and into the room. Lisa's face turned up to him and immediately her furrowed brow smoothed into a sparking smile. _

"_Hey you, I didn't think I'd see you today…you know since you didn't make it to the thing," she said pitching her eyes up at the graduation cap._

"_Told you, I don't do ceremony," he said picking his way around boxes that scattered the floor of her room. _

"_Yeah, yeah, I know. Whatever," she smirked, "But you should be aware that you missed an EXTREAMLY moving speech by the dean," she smiled, her sarcasm barely veiled._

"_You must have been in the front row, and the moving you speak of must have been you dodging that projectile spittle of his as he spoke," he laughed, picking up one of the piles on the edge of her desk. _

"_He really is a big bag of wind isn't he," she confessed through a grin. "Still it would have been nice to have you there. You after all did play a small part in helping me get to this point."_

"_I only tutored you in one class, and that was more about looking down your shirt than organic chemistry" he dismissed, flipping through the stack of papers he had picked up._

_Lisa swatted him playfully. "Maybe for you, but I was too busy peeking into your brain to notice," she said with a twinkle in her eye._

_House raised a single eyebrow at her. Taking a step towards her, he pinned her with his eyes. "If I remember properly, you took more than a peek at something that had nothing to do with my brain as well," he stated in a low voice._

_She swallowed noticeably. "Yeah, I remember," she breathed, "I only got a B on that test," she grumbled playfully._

"_You got an A in my book," House returned, feeling a familiar spark between them begin to fire._

_Her eye's raked over his face. "That might be, but medical schools don't generally care how I'm rated in the sack," she murmured, her body moving on instinct towards him._

_Shifting on his feet, House turned his attention back to the pile in his hands. "So…what are you doing here," he asked, trying to pull himself back from the precipice__he suddenly found himself on. A few months back, he had made a decision not to sleep with her again when things had begun getting odd between them. He didn't mind being friends with benefits, but deep down he knew he was walking a grease covered tight rope. One small misstep and he'd end up tumbling into the net of normalcy. He instinctively knew that if he fell he'd be unable to stop himself from becoming significantly attached to this girl, which would most certainly screw up both of their lives. He had never done the commitment thing well, and the fact of the matter was that despite himself, he already cared too much for Lisa to let her down like that. It was better to deflect, he had decided. 'But damn, why did she have to look so good?' he scoffed to himself as he glanced up into the blue-gray pools of her eyes. _

_Licking her lips, Lisa slid a few piles over to clear a spot on the desk directly in front of him. Slipping into the vacancy she had just created, she casually dropped her legs over the edge of the desktop so that one was on each side of him. Tilting her head, she glanced at the papers he was pretending to be interested in. "I'm just going through my old tests and stuff. I figure some of these papers and notes might come in handy next year, so I'm trying to decided what to take and what to toss," she answered him matter of factly as one of her hands begun caressing his arm._

_House stared down hard at the words that dotted the paper in front of him but found it nearly impossible to focus on them. "Don't know that a paper on the King Henry the VIII and his wives will do ya much good in med school," he finally stated, tossing the stack into the trash to his left._

_Lisa raised an eyebrow. "I don't know, I think I probably could make a reasonable argument that Catherine Howard suffered from an STD. She was rather a trampy by 15__th__ century standards, ya know. I'd even bet that an STD is why she, was unable to bear children," she stated logical, as her other hand made its way under his shirt to graze his ab's._

_House took in an uneven breath. "Speaking of STD's, I think Red next door might have just given me the clap. She cornered me in the hall on my way down here and put her hands all over me," he deflected sarcastically. _

_Lisa rolled her eyes a little. "Becka is a little loose and brazen isn't she?" she stated her voice soft as her nails raking through the hairs on his arm. "Well," she sighed softly, her breath tickling the skin of his neck. "I guess I'll just have to make sure to use protection," she murmured sexily. _

_House looked down at her; her intentions were clearly displayed on her face. Lisa wasn't afraid of making clear her wishes, he liked that about her. She was just the right amount of pushy for him. She didn't mind initiating sex but did in such a way that he somehow came out in the end feeling like more of a man, which let's face it, would be sexy as hell to any male alive. _

_Licking his dry lips, Greg knew if he had any intention of holding to his previous decision he needed stop this before it got started, not that his body seemed to be listening. At the moment it actually appeared to be deaf because somehow his hands had found their way onto her hips. _

"_So…do you have a condom with you?" she murmured in a sultry voice, her lips suddenly moving softly against the curve of his neck._

_He eyes slid closed as she slowly nibbled and licked at the length of his neck between his ear and shoulder. Her administrations immediately sent blood rushing south of his belt. "STOP HER," his conscience demanded, but even as the thoughts screamed in his brain, her hand that was under his shirt, slipped up to cup his peck. He moaned audibly, unable to control the reaction. _

_Moving her warm mouth up to his ear, she breathed heavily into it for a moment as she traced her tongue along the outer curve; then taking the lobe between her teeth she gave it a little tug. He jumped a bit at the nibble and his hands on her hips flexed, gripping her tightly. He took a few breaths, and tried to clear his head of the fog of arousal that enveloped it. "Lisa…" he finally breathed. _

"_Yes, Greg," she purred, as her second hand slipped under the hem of shirt to join the first. _

_He rolled his eyes and restrained a grunt of satisfaction as hand number two thumbed the nipple of his other peck. "I'm….I'm leaving….and you have school…" he stuttered, find the words difficult to locate though the muddle of sensations bombarding his brain. _

"_Yes, I know," Lisa whispered in return as she began placing small kisses along his jaw line._

_Swallowing hard, he forced himself to continue. "Do you…um…do you think….is this the best idea?" he finally managed to ask, all the while his body cursing him for his traitorous words._

_At that, Lisa pulled back a bit to look into his eyes. "I don't know, maybe not," she confessed, a small smirk in her lips, "at least not with the door open like that..." she said pointing blindly toward the partially opened door of her dorm room. "And I was actually serious about the condom, I don't have any more, but other than that…" she trailed off, placing long kiss to the corner of his mouth as her fingertips traced circles around his nipples. _

_Staring down at her his rational thoughts crashed head long into his raging hormones. His mind raced, each side making its case. On one hand she looked amazing. Her lips slightly swollen from kissing him, her slate eyes shimmering with desire, her hands under his tee shirt- how in the hell could he possibly say no to her. She was after all probably the sexiest woman who had ever actually agreed to sleep with him, and she wanted him NOW. There wasn't any denying that he wanted her too, the solider that was standing at attention in his pants at the moment was proof of his desire to have her, but then there was the other hand. Something had turned on in him over the past few months, suddenly it wasn't 'just' sex anymore. Whatever was happening, it was more than he was ready for, so saying no was the sure way to bury the issue. Taking deep breath, he let his eyes slide closed for a moment as his brain wrestled with the devil and angel in his conscience. Suddenly, before 'good vs. horny' had the chance to duke it out, she pulled away and jumped off the desk. Slightly disoriented by the abrupt movement and absence of her body heat, he shook his head and turned around to watch her moving quickly around boxes to close the door. _

_Flipping the dead bolt, she turned back towards him and smiled coyly as she slowly wandered back in his direction through minefield of half filled boxes. "Look Greg, I get what you're trying to do here. You're thinking this might be the last time we see each other and you don't want to leave me thinking we were only fuck buddies," she stated plainly. "You think if we have sex, then this…friendship will seem…" she physically paused and gave her next words careful consideration. "Trivial," she finally decide upon. _

_He blinked down at her. She wasn't really that far off, but then again that wasn't really a surprise, she often saw passed his bullshit to see the real him. Not really knowing what to say, he chose to simply nod his head to indicate his agreement._

_She smiled and shook her head as she took a step forward into his personal space. "I don't see it that way," she stated simply. "Never have. This," she said gesturing between them with her hand, "no one is taking advantage of anyone here. I like when you touch me, and I'm pretty sure that, that's mutual," she said softly, looking up into his eyes. "And even if I never see you again after today Greg, I will not regret being with you or being friends with you," she murmured, placing a hand on his chest. House started down at her, his heart pounding. He didn't know exactly how to respond to her. A man never wanting for words or quick replies, he suddenly found his tongue paralyzed._

_Running her hand sensually up and down his chest, Lisa took another step into him. "Now, what I'd really like to do is make this a good-bye to remember," she breathed, tilting her head back and looking up at him. _

_He stared down into her eyes and searched for the truth but all he found was that which she had confessed. Letting out a long breath, he shook his head at her as a smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. 'You might end up regretting this, but not doing it...' his mind turned. Then she licked her lips, and internal argument went silent. Suddenly he was moving forward and he was taking her into his arms. One hand on the small of her back and one at the back of her neck, he brought her face to his and took her lips between his. Her mouth was as smooth as velvet under his lips. She tasted good, intoxicatingly good. It's was a taste specific to her, one that over the last few weeks he had woke up craving the flavor of. Running his tongue slowly over her bottom lip, he brought both his hands up to cup her face. He wanted to savor the moment, to kiss her thoroughly, to make love to her slowly, but the mixture of her scent and her warm body pressed against his was going to make that nearly impossible. Deeping the kiss, his tongue slipped into her mouth and ran along hers. The cavern of her mouth was warm and sweet. _

_Lisa groaned into his mouth as his thumbs arched slowly over her cheeks. "Greg…" she whispered against his lips, her hands sliding under his shirt once again. Raking her nails across the skin of his back, she tugged his body even closer to hers. "You have too many clothes on," she mumbled pulling at his tee shirt. _

_House lifted his mouth from her for a moment to pull off his shirt. "You know I could say the same thing about you," he breathed, running his hands down to cover her breasts. She grinned and kissed him again, her hands taking a moment to run over his bare chest and through his chest hair. House pulled out of the kiss and squinted at her. "Come on, your turn," he demanded, his lips crashing against hers again as his hands pulled up on her shirt impatiently._

_Tugging his bottom lip with her teeth, she broke the kiss and reached for the hem of the faded tee. Keeping her eyes locked with his, she yanked the shirt up but stopped abruptly when it encountered the forgotten red graduation cap pinned to her head. Struggling against the cotton fabric, she began to laugh._

_House grinned down at her and chuckled along with her. In the years since he had lost his virginity, there hadn't been a single girl or woman he had been with that he could laugh with during sex, but with Lisa they had seem to just be relaxed enough to find funny things, well…funny. _

"_Um…a little help here?" she asked lowering her hands so that House could get at the cap._

_Eyeing her bra covered breast, he lifted an eyebrow and raised his hands to cover them. "Kinda like you like this," he teased, flicking her nipples thought the thin fabric._

_Lisa let out a breath and wiggled under his touch. "GREG," she snorted, "Trust me, we'll have a better time if my face is free," she said though the cloth._

"_Oh alright," he sighed through a sideways grin. "But I'm going to keep you to that promise," he teased seductively. Moving the fabric out of the way, he picked the bobby pins from her hair one by one until the cap finally came free. Tossing it across the room, he reached down and helped her finally remove the shirt. _

_Taking a breath, Lisa looked up at him, her face slightly flushed from the struggle. "Thanks," she said, reaching up self-consciously to run her hands over her now frayed hair._

_House watched her for a moment then brought his hands up to quiet hers. "Here let me," he said softly. Reaching back, he tugged at the small rubber band that held the tail of her French braid. She watched him silently, her eyes locked with his. Her stare made him tingle in all the right places. Letting the small piece of black elastic fall from his fingers, he very gently worked his fingertips into her hair. Pulling his fingers from roots to the tips of her soft brown hair, he watched as the dark brown curls fell free from the braid. Once all her hair was free of the braid he buried his hands in the loose curls and once again brought her mouth to his. This time his kiss was passionate, possessive. Smashing his mouth to hers, their tongues and teeth collided as their body tangled together. Running one of his hands down from her hair, he traced the tips of fingers slowly down her spine. Her skin was a smooth as silk. "God you're soft," he mumbled around their kiss as his whole hand caressed her back gentle. _

_Lisa's lips turned up in a smile against his. "Thank you, I moisturize," she smirked between breaths._

_House smirked at her flippant response. "Well I better make sure you've been lubin' up all your very important parts then hu?" he asked as his mouth slipped from her mouth to travel across her face and onto her neck. With the hand still in her hair, he gentle pulled her head back, exposing more of her neck to him. She groaned. He grinned. Then running his tongue along her jaw to the tip of her chin, he began a torturously slow exploration of the skin of her throat. Altering between pecks, licks, nibbles, bites and long sucking kisses, he moved down the milky white skin until he reached the dip where her cervical vertebrae meet with her the manubrium. Flatting his tongue against the slight indentation, he lapped gently at her ever warming skin. "Smooth and tasty," he murmured nipping her with his teeth. She shivered against him and sighed. "You like?" he asked his breath mixing with the sweat at was beginning to form on her skin. _

_She chuckled low and sexy. "I'd like it even better if you could draw these conclusions WHILE continuing forward," she returned looking down at him. _

_Greg peeked up and met her shimmering eyes. She was absolutely right; he should stop the talking and get on with the licking. Letting the hand in her hair slip down the back of her neck, he slowly drew it down until it joined the other on her back before sliding them both down over her ribs to rest on the slight curve of her hips. He caressed the skin just above her jeans a moment before slipping his pinkies in the loops and tugging her forward until their pelvis' gently collided. _

_She groaned and swatted him. "Greg," she pleaded in a barely audible whisper. _

_Smiling against her skin at the longing her could hear in her voice, he placed a gentle kiss to the dip at the base of her neck once more before started once again on his downward journey. Planting light kisses across her cervical, he slowly moved down and across her chest until his lips finally rested just above the cup of her light pink silk bra. "Love you in this color," he confessed against the curve of her breast. Then, sticking out the tip of his tongue he leisurely traced along the top the first cup, down into the valley between her breast and then up the other mound. His mind was beginning to spin. Always a big fan of her breasts, he was torturing himself as much as he was her with his slow exploration. Swallowing with some difficulty, he took a deep breath trying to cool his rising desire, but suddenly her hands were in his hair, pulling his face down. He chuckled and looked up at her as his lips brushed her right nipple. "Somebody getting impatient?" he asked grazing his nose lightly over the tight nub. _

_Lisa groaned and pulled his face forward into her chest again. "Would you just be quiet and put your mouth to better use?" she grumbled._

_Looking at the peak before him, thinly veiled in pale pink silk, he smirked. He liked her when she was demanding. "Yes, mama," he finally replied clamping his lips over a silk covered nipple. Her guttural gasp was he reward. Lapping hungrily at her, he soaked the thin fabric of her bra on one breast as his other hand worked its way up from her waist to slip under the wire of her bra to bring her other nipple to a point. Arching her back, Lisa loosened one of the hands in his hair and slipped down to caress his cheek gently. The soft touch of her finger tips across his cheek bone and down his jaw was so gentle it turned something in his gut, he suddenly ache to kiss her. Reluctantly pulling his mouth from her breast, he straightened up. Lisa mumbled her disapproval, and he chuckled. "And to think you led me to believe you didn't like all the comments I made about your twins," he murmured, directing her back towards the desk behind her. _

_Lisa rolled her eyes but allowed him to help her up onto the desk. Once settled onto the shiny top, she reached behind her back and unclasped her bra. Locking her eyes with his, she slowly slid it off and tossed it across the room in one smooth motion. _

_Moving to stand between her legs, the corner of his mouth pulled up on a lusty smirk. Cupping her face in his palms, he brought her lips to his in a long sensuous kiss. "Mmmmm," he murmured as her tongue slipped into his mouth. Pulling out of kiss, House once again began making his way down towards her breasts. As the first of her bare nipples touched his tongue, his hard on went from half mast to fully at attention. Mouthing the tasty nub a few moments, he hastily moved to the other to give it the same attention. Rolling the rosy pucker flesh between his teeth he felt Lisa tremble against him. He reveled in the fact that he could make her body react the way it did. He loved making her squirm and moan in need, he reveled in the fact that the simple act of touching her made her crave him. As the thoughts and images made their way around his aroused brain, the sudden and urgent need to be inside her overwhelmed him. Foreplay was over; he needed to feel her around him, hear her call out his name as he moved inside of her. _

_Continuing to work the nipple between his lips, he dropped his hands to the waistband of her jeans. Dragging his fingertip along the soft flesh just atop of her pants, he worked his way from her hips to the button just below her bellybutton. After working the brass closure though the soft denim he hastily pulled at the zipper. Throwing her head back, Lisa groaned and reclined back on her elbows as he slipped his hand into her panties. _

_Sliding his fingers over the soft curls at the apex of her sex, he nuzzled his middle finger between her outer lips. Briefly circling her clit he quickly moved forward, gliding his middle finger quickly into her canal. Though she had protested when he had show so little attention to her clit, Lisa now sighed and pushed her pelvis towards him sinking herself more fully onto his finger. Making sure to keep his mouth working the nipple in his mouth, he lifted his eyes to look up at her face as she moved against the digit he had inserted. "God you're beautiful," he confessed softly against her flesh. Keeping her eyes closed, a smiled spread across her face at the comment. House stared at her for a moment as she worked hips against his hand. He enjoyed watching her as she working her way towards an orgasm. She seemed to be glowing; her eyes closed tightly, her parted lips to taking in shaky breaths as she concentrated on the sensation building between her legs. Thrusting his finger deeper a few times, he then sent his index finger in to join his middle. She let out a moan as now two of his finger worked inside of her. Licking her lip, she lifted her eyelashes and looked down at him. As her slate blue eyes locked with his he found them brimming with want and begged for release. The intensity of her stare caused him to moan her name around the nipple in his mouth. _

_Curling his fingers inside of her, he searched for her g-spot. There were two things that his years of studying the human body had provided him. One was the ability to diagnose it when it wasn't working correctly, the other was this. She stiffed against him and he smiled. Yep, becoming a Doctor had definite benefits outside of the hospital he smirked to himself as he moved his mouth to her other breast. _

_Sliding his middle finger in tiny circles around spot he had located on the wall of her vagina, he felt her tremble slightly as her fluids leak out of her opening and down his hand. She was ready for him now. Lifting his head from her breasts, he moved up to kiss her as he slipped his fingers out of her. She growled and bit down on his bottom lip. "Hey now," he whispered against her mouth as he worked her panties and jeans off, "I'm not planning on leaving you high and dry, I just figured you'd prefer something bigger and better," he leered down at her, pushing his hard on against her wet center. _

_Reaching down for his belt, Lisa yanked impatiently at the leather. "Well then get to it already," she commanded through a sexy smile. The look made his cock twitch. He needed her, and now. Kissing her roughly, he hastily extracted a condom from his wallet before pushing at his clothing until his penis bounced free of his underwear. Not caring that he hadn't actually removed his pants, he grabbed himself, rolled the condom quickly over his shaft and positioned his tip in the entrance of her opening, but just before for thrusting into her, he paused. Gazing down at her beautiful face he felt to odd feeling that had been pledging him for weeks wash over him. Taking deep breath, he instinctively leaned down and kissed her sweetly before…_

*You are the dancing queen, Young and sweet, only seventeen. Dancing queen, feel the beat from the tambourine, oh yeah…*

Grunting as his mind reeled back to the present, House glanced down at the cell singing Wilson's ring tone from the clip on his belt. Pushing the button to send the call to his voice mail, he blew out a long breath. 'Damn it Wilson' he thought, shifted uncomfortably in Cuddy's chair as he tried to find a position that would relieve the pressure against the hard on in his pants. This was the second time today that Wilson had interpreted this particular memory. Taking a few calming breaths, House tried to recapture the memory. 'God that had time been hot,' he recalled letting out a sigh. Grunting a bit, he glanced down at the bulge in his pants then over at the bathroom to his left. Maybe he could just…he considered, but once again the sound of Abba filled the room. Yanking the phone off his belt, he flipped it open. "Yeah," he grunted, feeling his erection begin to deflate.

"Um, I have your dinner, but you're not in your office and your team hasn't seen you," Wilson stated suspiciously.

House rolled his eyes. "I'm in the lab. I'll be up in a minute," he lied pushing away from Cuddy's desk and closing the phone without another word. Grazing his fingers briefly over the shinning wood of the desk, he let a long breath out through his nose. Giving it one last look, he suddenly stood and moved towards the door.

Pausing only long enough to lock the office behind him, House turned marched through the double doors of the outer office. Turning towards exit of the clinic, he stopped short when he spotted Wilson staring him with a knowing look on his face. Glancing down at the floor and swallowing hard, House put on his game face. Limping quickly past Wilson, he headed directly for the elevators.

"Uh, House," Wilson called out after him. "You do know that Cuddy's office ISN'T the lab right?" he asked sarcastically, stopping next to him.

It was moments like this that House really missed his mobility. If he weren't missing huge hunk of leg muscle he could maybe run away or at least dash up the stairs, but instead he was stuck here waiting for the damn elevator. "Yeah I guess I lied," he confessed, keeping his voice neutral as he pushed the call button impatiently.

Wilson raised an eyebrow. "You sneak into Cuddy's office all the time. Why lie about it this time?" he asked, moving the bag of food he was carrying from one arm to the other.

Much to House's relief, the bell chimed and the door to the elevator slid open. "I didn't want you to call and tell mommy on me and ruin my surprise," House replied flippantly as he stepped into the awaiting car.

Stepping in after him, Wilson shook his head at him. "What surprise?" he asked, his voice clearly indicating that he didn't believe a word coming from his mouth.

Staring up at the floor counter, House shrugged. "I erased all her appointments for next week. That the nice part about her not having a secretary, she's gone to keeping her calendar on her desk top, which of course is an open invite for sabotage" he lied.

The doors to the elevator opened, and both men stepped out. House limped towards his office trying not to notice the complete look of disbelief on James' face. Pushing though the glass door with his name on it, he hobbled quickly towards his desk.

Following close behind, Wilson stopped at the desk and set down the bag of food. Unbuttoning his coat, he stared at House as he rummaged though one of his desk drawers. "You know I don't buy that pile of horse pucky right?" he asked tossing his coat and scarf towards the cream colored chair in the corner.

Finally locating the monster truck DVD in the second drawer, House shuffled over to the TV in the corner and turn it on. "You don't have to believe me, but then again if you really do want that new MRI for Oncology you might want to remind her about that budget meeting your have with the board about it on Tuesday," he stated, putting the DVD into the player.

Raising an eyebrow, Wilson considered him for a moment. "No," he finally concluded after a few seconds, "You weren't in there to mess with her stuff. You wanted to see the desk didn't you?" he asked knowingly.

Not giving him the benefit of even a glance, House reached for the bag on his desk and began unloading the styrofoam containers filled with food.

"Ah ha!" Wilson rejoiced at his silence. "I knew it. You snuck in to see it! What you didn't even bother to be there when the movers brought it in yesterday?" he asked as House opened the lid of his food and began shoving fries into his mouth.

Chewing House looked up at him. He really didn't want to talk about this again. Why couldn't he just let it go? It wasn't like if he did have a relationship with Cuddy Wilson would benefit from it. "I was just screwing with her schedule," House reiterated his previous lie as he reached for a one of cups he had unpacked earlier.

"Bullshit House," Wilson stated in factually. "You know, I just do NOT understand your complete refusal to own up to how you feel about that woman. God…she's beautiful, sexy, smart and for some mind-boggling reason, likes you. Why do you refuse to acknowledge that?" he demanded.

Sipping on his shake, House worked hard to keep his reactions guarded, but the truth was he was surprised. She still liked him? With his antics over the past few days, especially yesterday when he had grab her breast when she had tried to discuss the subject of them, he'd figured she'd given up on the notion of them as a couple. Hell he wasn't sure there was anything more than just sexual tention between them anyway, but Wilson, who had, had coffee with her and came back to nag him about it the hooker, now said she liked him. His thoughts ran in circles as he tried to process the information.

"House!"

House looked up at him, but just as he was about to speak Thirteen came through his door a scan film in her hand. Following closely in her heels was Taub and Kutner. "Kimberly's kidneys are failing, she has blood in the urine," she stated, marching over to his light board and slapping the film on it. Turning on the light ,the MRI image of the woman's lower abdomen lit up. "And her BP is now through the roof," she added, stepping back to stare at the scan.

Immensely thankful for the interruption, House turned his full attention to new puzzle piece on the light board. "Looks clean," he mumbled, turning to his dry erase board and wrote increasing BP on one line and then kidney failure just below it.

"All of our scans have been clean, but she still has kidney failure, her rash is getting worse and now her BP is threateninb a heart attack," Kutner stated.

"Wow, that was really helpful," House snapped sarcastically as he moved to pick up the hamburger that was growing cold on his desk. "So, ideas. What causes, fever, rash, headache, high BP and kidney failure?" he asked taking a big bite of his burger and staring at his team.

"Primary biliary cirrhosis," Taub suggested.

Thirteen shook her head, "No primary bilary cirrhosis presents with liver failure not kidney failure," she argued.

"How about Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever? Accounts for the elevated BP, rash, and fever," Kutner offered carefully, eyeing House.

Taking another bite of his sandwich, House considered the thought. "I considered that earlier, but her blood pressure would be falling if it were Dengue fever, not going up," he rebutted.

Thirteen raised and finger in thought. "What if rash isn't a rash at all. What if bruising? She never said it itched and the spots aren't raised, we just assumed it was a rash from the pattern, but what if its not a rash but bruising. If it is it could be Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. TTP would explain all the symptoms," she stated looked to each of them for their thoughts.

House chewed and swallowed. "If you're right and it's bruising, then it's TTP and we can start her on prednisolone and immunosuppressants," he said standing up. "Let's go biopsy the rash and check her blood for the enzyme ADAMTS13 to confirm," he stated, picking up his burger in one hand and cane in the other, he headed for the door.

Thirteen, Taub and Kutner all looked at each other. "You're coming to…help us?" Taub asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, you're going to see a patient House?" Wilson asked suspiciously, looking at his friend in disbelief.

House stopped short of the door and looked back at them. "I want to see for myself if this bruising or just a gnarly rash," he dismissed, motioning for his team to exit before him.

Wilson stared at House as the team filed out into the hall. "House, you never see patients except to harass them into some sort of confession that will fit your diagnosis. You're just avoiding the conversation about…you know who," he accused, careful not to drop Cuddy's name in the presents of House's underlings.

Eyeing his friend for a moment, House couldn't help but smile; of course he was avoiding, that's what he did best. 'You'd think you'd know that by now Jimmy,' he thought to himself. Shoving the last bite of his burger into his mouth, House simply gave Wilson a shrug and followed his team through the door.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Rolling over in bed, Lisa Cuddy sighed and snuggled deeper beneath her down comforter. All around her, bright morning sunshine poured around and through the cream colored curtains hanging in her bedroom windows, its cheerful light pulled her reluctantly but deliberately towards consciousness. Yawning sleepily, she lifting one, then both eye lids then blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted to the brightness that filled her room. Bring a hand up to rub the sleep out of her eyes, she glanced up at her alarm clock and grunted when she realized it was only just after 7 am. She really shouldn't be all that surprised, how was her body to know it was a Saturday? Up by 6 most days, 7 was 'sleeping in' for her internal clock.

Rolling over, she considered closing her eyes and forcing herself back to sleep, but even as she considered the option her mind began forming a mental to-do list. Well, it was actually more of a get-to-do list since every item on it was going to be more fun than work, but either way she was suddenly fully awake and now growing rather excited by all the plans she had for the day. Giving up on the idea of an hour more of sleep, she tossed back her blankets. Sitting up san the warmth of her feather filled duvet, the temperature of the room hit her like a bucket of ice water. "Oh my…Burrrr," she mumbled reaching instinctively for the gray robe hanging over the foot board of her bed. Pulling the warm flannel around her body, she slipped her feet into her slippers next to bed and headed down the hall to check the thermostat.

Stopping in the hallway, her arms wrapped around herself in a futile attempt to keep in her body heat in, Lisa looked at the digital reading in disbelief. 42 degrees. "Fuck," she grumbled, padding down the hall towards the kitchen. Pulling open the door to her laundry room, she eyed the boiler in corner. It was eerily silent in the room. Crossing the room she placed her hand on the ancient contraption only to find exactly what she expected, something a woman in her profession knew by instinct, it was dead. Letting out a breath, she slapped the icy metal in frustration. "Damn it," she growled. Marching out of the laundry room, she slammed the door behind her. "Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT!" she nearly shouted. Stalking over to the stove, she cracked open the oven door and twisted the knob to 500. Holding her freezing hands over the opened door she considered her options as the heat began to rise.

Deciding a strategy, she reached for the phone hanging on the wall near the sink and quickly dialed her sisters phone number. After three rings, a cheerful voice greeted her. "Good morning my darling sister!"

"Karen, is Paul there?" Lisa asked, bypassing their usual pleasantries.

The phone was silent for a moment, "Yeah…I think so. Why, what's up," Karen asked, confusion mixed with concern clear in her voice.

Lisa sighed. "I need to know if he knows of a plumber who can put a boiler in on a Saturday," Lisa grumbled, reaching for the tea pot sitting on the back burner of her stove.

"Oh, no! Really!" her sister replied, honest pity coloring her.

"Yeah, I woke up and could build an igloo in my living room," Lisa lamented, filling the pot with water before setting it on stove again and turning on the burner beneath it. In the background she could hear her sister calling her husband Paul to the phone.

"So, I'm guessing our plans for the afternoon are off then," Karen sighed.

Lisa shrugged. "I don't know, guess it will depend on what your husband has to say," she returned, pulling open the cabinet to her right and grabbing a large hand painted coffee mug off the shelf. Running a finger over the crooked letters that spelled out "Happy Birthday Auntie Lisa" in deep crimson and bright blue, her mouth pulled down into a frown. "Damn," she muttered under her breath, her "get-to-list" of earlier suddenly going up in metaphorical flames. After spending a couple of hours the night before trying desperately to get House out of her head, she had turned her thoughts to the realization she had had while at coffee with Wilson…it was Christmas time. Deciding defiantly that she wasn't going to spend the weekend mopping over a man who clearly wasn't thinking about her, she had quickly began planning a weekend of Holiday fun, part of which included Christmas video's and crafts at her house with her niece and nephew.

Suddenly Paul's deep voice was echoing in her ear. "Hey Lis, I hear you're having some boiler issues," he stated, pulling her from her disappointment.

"Yeah, that or the hospital forgot to tell me they needed to use my house for an overflow morgue," she returned blandly.

Paul chuckled. "Well, let me make a few calls and see what I can do. But it's a Saturday so…" he trailed off.

"I should call the Hilton for a room," she stated, unable to hide her disappointment.

"Well… I do have a few space heaters we use at non-heated sites this time of the year, if we can't find someone to do the work I might be able to get my general manager to bring them over," he suggested.

Lisa brightened. "Really?" she asked a hint of smile coming to her face.

"Yeah I'm sure we have a few sitting around over at the warehouse, but let's cross that bridge after I make a few calls okay?" he asked.

Letting out a breath, Lisa nodded into the phone. "Alright. Then you'll call me back?" she sighed, lifting the steaming teapot from the burner and filling the mug on the counter.

"Give me an hour or so."

"Alright," she agreed, "Oh and could you tell your wife not to totally write the day off till I know what's going on?" she asked.

"Will do," Paul affirmed, "Talk to ya in a bit," he ended then hung up the phone.

Pushing the off button on the cordless phone, Lisa set it down and reached across the counter for a small canister. Plucking a tea bag from inside, she tossed it into the mug of steaming water and watched it sink. Letting out a sigh another she picked the coffee cup up, cradled it between her hands and padded slowing back towards her bedroom. It was going to be a while before she heard back from her brother-in-law so she mined as well spend it in the one room in her house she could get warm in.

************

Turning the hot water off with her toe after reheating her bathwater for the second time, Lisa sighed contently and readjusted the washcloth over her eyes. Having long thought the age old space heater built into the wall of her circa 1950's bathroom ridicules, Lisa had been debating having it removed and the bathroom remodeled, but now as it rumbled noisily in the corner filling the room with its toasty electric warmth, she was quiet happy she had been putting the work off since she moved in. Taking in a deep breath, she snuggled down deeper into the warmth of the water and silently thanked the brilliant and foresighted men who had included the heater in their design some 50 some years ago.

As the warmth filled her pours and relaxed her muscles, Lisa's mind began wandered aimlessly around from thought to thought. Going from her 50's bathroom décor, to the pretty party dresses she admired so much from that period, to the scene from the movie Back to the Future when Marty took his mother to the Under the Sea dance, her brain slid freely from one thought to another carrying her ever so slowly towards sleep. Just as her awareness began to slip beneath the fluffy white bubbles floating around her, the shrill ring of the telephone jolting her to back to consciousness.

Bolting up right in the tub, the now cold washcloth that had been coving her eyes fell unhindered into the water with a splash. Blinking a few times, Lisa scrambled to collect her thoughts and the phone. Leaning forward, she patted blindly the top of the sink where she had left the device until her hand landed on the cold plastic. Grabbing it, she fumbled with the receiver finally managing to push the talk button.

"Hello? Paul?" she asked, running a hand over her eyes in an attempt to clear the fog of drowsiness that still clung to her.

"Well, actually prefer to just go by McCartney these days…trying to change my image after that Heather Mills fiasco I managed to get myself in," came a flippant reply, in a terrible British accent.

Rolling her eyes at the voice she would know regardless of the bad accent, Lisa let out a long sigh. "House, what do you want? It's Saturday," she grumbled.

"My patient is dying," he stated plainly as he had a hundred times before in the years she had known him.

Lifting her knees to her chest, she set her chin atop one. "Well House you're a pretty smart guy and you have four other really smart doctors working for you, so let's try and not let that happen," she said as if talking to a child.

"Really? Doctors aren't supposed to let people die? Hummm, I'm going to have to reread that part of the Hippocratic Oath!" House shot back sarcastically, clearly not finding any humor in her snide remarks.

Blowing bubbles off her other knee, Lisa smirked. "Looks like someone got up on the wrong, wrong side of the bed today," she stated around a smirk.

The phone was silent for a moment, then House finally gave in. "Wrong, wrong?" he asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

Lisa couldn't help by smile. "Well seeing as I've never know you to have a right side the bed, I'm lead to believe you have a wrong side and a wrong, wrong side," she teased in spite of herself.

House groaned at what she could only guess he felt was a lame joke. "First off, you can't wake up on any side of the bed if you don't actually go TO BED the night before and secondly, MY PATIENT IS DYING," he growled, making sure to put extra emphasis his last four words.

Dropping a hand into the water, she felt the lightness of moments before drain out of her. "So what do you want to do?" she asked with a sigh.

"I want to cut into dear Katie's brain and take out the mass that is pushing on her pituitary," he stated calmly.

"Her name is Kimberly, and what did the MRI show?" she inquired knowingly.

"Scans aren't always conclusive, you know that," House debated confidently.

"House, you are not going in and playing hide-n-seek in that poor girl's brain without PROOF that there's actually something in there!

"She has Cushing's," House rebutted emphatically.

"Well then confirm that diagnose with a Dexamethasone-CRH or Urinary Free Cortisol Level test or one of the other six test designed to diagnose Cushing's!" she demanded, flopping back into the tub with a splash.

"What was that noise?" House asked, suddenly changing the subject.

Lisa shook her head. "House, the answer is no to the surgery unless you can prove its Cushing's or you can give me an MRI showing a tumor," she instructed, ignoring his question.

"Are you in the bathtub?" House asked, his voice pitching low as the suggestion left his mouth.

Biting her lip at the gravelly voice coming through the phone, Lisa suddenly felt very vulnerable. Pulling her legs up and moving some bubbles to cover her chest, she tried to redirect the conversation back to the patient. "So, no brain surgery today," she mumbled, hating how weak her voice suddenly sounded.

"I'll take that as a yes you're in the tub then, and even if you're not, that's where I'm going to imagine you're at," House continued, unfazed by her clear refusal to discuss where and what she was doing. "As for the tests you've suggested, they'll all take too long. By the time we get the results she'll be dead," he declared.

Lisa licked her lips and shivered a bit in spite of the warmth that surrounded her. Closing her eyes she cursed her body for reacting to him without her permission. "House," she finally said, her voice coming out stronger than she felt, "Either you show me the mass or you show me the results of the blood test," she stated.

"So do you prefer bubble bath or bath salts?" House asked his voice low in her ear again.

"House," Lisa cautioned wearily.

"Personally I'd prefer to think you're using salts, that way there's nothing to obstruct the view, but I'm guessing you're a bubble bath kinda girl," he continued unfazed as usual by her warning.

Suddenly Lisa was imagining him standing in her bathroom staring at her, his ever calculating eyes taking in every inch of her exposed form. Her whole body instantly warmed at the thought. Clearing her throat, she struggled to maintain her professionalism. "You're other option is to just start her on the treatment for Cushing's. If the symptoms disappear you've got your answer," she managed to say without so much as a quiver in her voice to indicate the effect he was having on her.

"Since I often smell lavender on you, I'm bet your shower gel and your bubble bath are the same scent, after all I know how much you like to coordinate," he breathed, totally ignoring her attempts to focus on the patient.

Glancing up at her shower caddy, Lisa looked at the bottles of French lavender bath supplies lining the wire shelf. How the hell did he know? She certainly couldn't smell the bath products on herself once she had applied lotion and perfume after her shower. She shook her head. His uncanny knowledge of things like this always impressed her, even though she felt like she should feel offended, she never was. Deep down she liked that he noticed small details about her, though logically she knew his intense attention to detail was what made him an incredible doctor and diagnostician, but still she always silently hoped he did it to her because in some small way he cared. Swallowing around the lump that had formed in her throat she collected herself. "Just start the treatment House," she directed softly.

"Do you need someone to come wash your back for you?" House solicited smoothly. "Cuz, I can get dark and darker to start the treatment and be there in 10."

Lisa blushed at the thought. She knew he was just trying to rile her with his facetious offers, but a huge part of her, the part that ached for him and that she tried diligently to ignore, wanted to throw him for a loop and accept the proposal. "House…" she breathed, "Just…just call me when you know if the treatments working," she finally said, choking back the words that she really wanted to say.

"Okay fine. But I have a really nice sponge, if ya know what I mean," he teased with his customary innuendo.

Though they were separated by miles, she could see him as clear as if he were standing in front of her, his eyebrows wiggling suggestively. Blowing out an aggravated breath Lisa straightening her back and sat upright in the tub. She was suddenly completely and utterly exhausted by this little dance between them and as of this moment she didn't want to play his games anymore. He was either flirting with her or not, and since she knew it was the latter, she was done being a diversion for him. She was tired of it. She was tired of the bantering around this weird tention between them, weary of the innuendos, and exhausted by his leering at her breasts or talking about her ass, she was done with it all. "House, enough!" she blurted abruptly. "From this point forward my body is not open for discussion anymore, I'm done with this. You will respect me or you will find another job," she lashed out. "No more sex jokes or talking about my boobs, you have to stop," she ranted. "Please just…don't," she ended her anger losing its edge as she spoke.

She listened for his response, but the phone was silent expect his breathing. She waited for what seemed like forever before he spoke. "I'll call you in an hour," he replied, his voice strangely calm and professional. Lisa furrowed her brow; this was not the reaction to her outburst she had anticipated. She had expected him to laugh, make a joke or simply ignore her, but to get no reaction, she hadn't expected that. Suddenly her phone beeped in her ear, she knew it was probably her brother in law. "Look, House…" she began to say, but he cut her off.

"I can hear your phone beeping, I'll just call you when I know if the treatment is working," he stated blandly.

Lisa swallowed around the lump in her throat and nodded. "Well, okay then," she finally managed to agree, then without further ado the phone went dead in her ear. Pulling the device from her ear, she looked down at it numbly. What had she just done? Abruptly it rang, causing her to jump. Numbly she pushed the on button and lifted it to her ear. "Hello," she answered distractedly, her mind still on the strange end to her conversation with House.

"Lisa," came Paul's voice, "I have good news and bad news," he stated.

Coming back to reality, she struggled to focus on the conversation. "Oh, okay. Shoot," she finally managed.

"I found ya a boiler, but it's going to be at least Sunday afternoon before the plumber will have time to put it in," he offered.

"Alright," she acknowledged, having been prepared for the outcome. "Well…I was really hoping to be home this weekend…" she mumbled, " is it possible to get the heaters you mentioned? I'd be happy to pay the guys who have to bring them over," she offered hopefully.

"I figured that's what you'd want. I have a couple of guys on their way over to bring you a few and don't worry about paying them-they both owe me for showing up at a job site hung over last Monday morning," he explained. "As for the boiler, don't let Don charge you more than $50 an hour for the install, he also owes me," he said lightness in his voice.

Lisa smiled softly into the phone. Paul was a kind soul and she was thankful to have such a man as a brother in law. Often she wondered how her sister had been so lucky while her love life was such a train wreck. Shrugging the thought off, she turned her attention back to conversation. "Paul, I can't thank you enough," she breathed, standing up.

"No problem Lis. What's family for if not to help each other out?" he asked rhetorically.

Grabbing her towel off the sink she shook it out and wrapped it around her body. Thinking back on the discussion she had just had with House a sad smirk played across her face. "Trust me Paul, common courteously isn't always a given," she mutter. "I really am grateful to you for working everything out for me."

"You're welcome," he finally replied quietly. "You want to talk to your sister?" he asked.

"No, that not necessary, just tell her to be here like we planned," Lisa returned reaching for her robe.

"Will do," Paul agreed, "Talk to ya later Lis."

"Yeah, and thanks again," she returned before taking the phone from her ear and disconnecting the call. Standing in the middle of the bathroom she stared down at the devise in her hand, shivering. In spite of all the events of the day insofar it was her ridiculous conversation with House that now resurfaced to the front of her brain. Her brow wrinkled as the thoughts raced around in her head. Why had he not argued with her, maybe say something rude and inappropriate in response? Was he _actually_ listening to her, doing as she asked? Her mind whirled in circles at the very thought. In over two decades he had never listened to her, that couldn't be it she reasoned. She couldn't put her finger what it was that was bothering her about the interaction, but something was defiantly amiss, she could feel it. She shivered again. Letting out a frustrated breath, she set the phone down on the sink and shimmied out of her towel. Revitalizing her resolved to put House out of her head for the day, she stepped out of the tub. Padding across the bedroom she dropped the damp cloth into a hamper in the corner and quickly shrugged on her robe and slipped her feet into her slippers.

"Clothes, heaters, then holiday cheer," she stated with determination as she turned for the door. "I'm not going to let gimpy Grinch ruin my weekend," she muttered emphatically. 'The weekend ends Sunday, what are you going to do when you have to see him on Monday? ' her subconscious countered as she reached for the door knob. Closing her eyes for a moment, her hand still on the door knob, she blew out a frustrated breath. She was just going in circles.

The sound of a muted doorbell through the door pulled her from the endless laps her thoughts were making in her head. Shaking off the feelings, she quickly turned the knob and pulled open the door. The icy cold of the hallway hit her full force as she stepped into the hall. Her breath stuck in her throat. Pulling her robe closer to her body, she blindly made her way for her front door.

"Heaters, clothes, then holiday cheer," she muttered, revising her earlier list as she pulled open her front door to two smiling young men.


	8. Chapter 8

Hands wrapped around a steaming cup of hot cider, Lisa Cuddy watched as her niece and nephew ran excitedly up and down the tree lined isles of the Christmas tree lot, their laughter trailing behind them in crystalline puffs of air. Smiling, she carefully lifted the paper coffee cup to her lip and took a sip of the flavorful liquid within.

"Four Jew's in a Christmas tree lot; sounds like good start for a really racist joke."

Lisa looked over her shoulder at her sisters smiling face and shook her head. "Well the two smaller ones are really only half Jew's so…" she trailed off with a smirked.

Karen shrugged and took a sip from her own cardboard cup. "Since Paul converted wouldn't that make them at least 2/3 Jew?" she laughed lightly her eye's following her children as they circled one tree after another.

Tossing the end of her plaid scarf over her shoulder, Lisa snickered and gave her sister a noncommittal shrug.

As the pair made their way down aisle towards the two frolicking kids, Karen reached out and brushed a pile of snow off a nearby branch. "I still can't believe you put up a tree," she stated. "You know Bubbe would turn over in her grave if she knew," she teased.

"A Christmas tree, despite its name, isn't innately Christian. Plus they're pretty and make the house smell nice," Lisa sighed, adjusting her sun glasses.

Karen snickered. "Yeah, I'm sure that argument would have convinced Bubbe. I can hear her now. 'Lisa,' Karen said in a gravelly voice clearly imitating their dead relative, 'You would break this old ladies heart by putting this abomination up in your home? You are trying to kill an old lady?" Karen said hobbling hunched over alongside Lisa, her face scrunched up in a grumpy pout.

Lisa laughed and rolled her eyes. "You forgot to throw in the fact I'm nearing 40, unmarried and childless…" she said her voice loosing it's teasing tone as each word picked away at her soul.

Karen stopped in her tracks as Lisa's voice trailed off. "She wouldn't say that," she returned softly. Placing her hand on Lisa's coat sleeve, she pulled her to a stop. "She'd be just as proud of you as we all are. You know that right?" she asked, her forehead wrinkled in concern.

Looking down into her cup, Lisa suddenly felt stupid having said anything, even if it had started in jest. She did of course know her family was proud of her and when she had told them she was going to try artificial insemination to start a family of her own they had all been excited, especially the females of the clan who had been more than willing to offer up their support and personal experiences for her glen from. She was blessed to have the family she did, and she didn't ever take that for granted. Taking a sip from her quickly cooling cup of cider, she finally brought her eyes back to her sister's concerned ones. "Sorry. I didn't mean to throw a bucket of ice water on our morning. I don't know why I brought it up," she confessed softly.

Considering her for a moment, Karen reached over and lifted Lisa's sunglasses so she could look directly into her eyes. "If there is something, anything, you need to talk about you know I'm here for ya right?" she asked, ignoring Lisa's attempt to sweep the clearly sensitive subject under the metaphorical rug.

Lisa started into her sisters bright sea-green eyes for a moment and for a second considered spilling the details of the past few weeks to her, but the middle of 'Big Jim's Tree Farm' wasn't really the right time or the place, nor did it keep with her personal pledge to put a certain cranky doctor out of her mind. Shrugging the thoughts off, she forced a small reassuring smile onto her face. "I just want to enjoy day with you guys, okay?" she nearly pleaded.

Karen looked at her sister's pretty face closely. She knew her baby sister well enough to know there was something going on, but she also knew it would be pointless to try to get it out of her younger sibling if she didn't want to talk. Taking a breath, she nodded in resignation. "Well then, let's go pick out your culturally inappropriate holiday symbol then," she smiled, rubbing Lisa's arm warmly.

Lifting a hand to bring her sunglasses back down onto her nose, Lisa turned and headed towards her niece and nephew. "So Gracie, Scotty, which one will it be?" Lisa asked, reaching out a hand to pat the top of Grace's pink and purple knit hat.

Tilting her head back, Grace's large slate blue eyes looked up at her aunt. "I think this one's the best," she stated, patting the branches of the tree in front of her. "But Scotty likes that skinny one over there," she related, her nose crinkled up in disgust as she pointed at the scrawny blue spruce propped up along the fence across the aisle.

"My tree is not skinny!" Scott argued. Tugging on his aunt's coat, he demanded her attention. "It's pretty isn't it Auntie Lisa?" he asked, his big blue-green eye begging for her approval.

Eyeing the pathetic looking tree, she placed a hand alongside his cheek and nodded her agreement in spite of herself. "It is very nice indeed. Kinda reminds me of the Charlie Brown's Christmas tree," she lied carefully.

"Charlie Brown Christmas tree?" Scott asked, his vacant look clearly showing his confusion at reference.

Lisa sighed and looked up at her sister. "See what keeping them sequestered in a "Jew's Only" world has done? They don't even know basic cultural references," she chided playfully.

Karen rolled her eyes. "Yeah I'm sure the fact that, that cartoon's from the 60's has nothing to do with it," she laughed.

Feigning shock that her sister had just basically called her old, Lisa turned back to her nephew. "I have the video at home, we'll watch it when we get back," she told him.

"Okay," Scotty returned excitedly as he walked over and patted his tree of choice. "We're taking this one, the Charlene Brown tree?" he asked, giving his sister a victorious smile, to which she quickly stuck out her tongue at him.

"Charlie Brown," Lisa corrected, "You know with Snoopy," she added. Then turning her attention on the spruce in question, she eyeing the pathetic stump pretending to be a tree. Biting her bottom lip, she carefully chose her next words. "Well, we could get this tree," she started, to which Scotty beamed, "But,' she continued, "do you think it's big enough for all the decorations?" she asked hoping he would take the bait. "Those snowflakes you made me last year are pretty big," she added hold her hand up to demonstrate the size of the fore mentioned items for effect.

Three years older and always an incredibly bright child, Grace picked up on her Auntie's tactics quickly. Joining her brother by the tree she gently brushed a mitten cover hand over one of the emaciated limbs. Lowering her voice to a secretive level, she leaned in and asked, "Do you think this branch will be strong enough to hold secret surprise you made for Auntie Lisa?"

Looking up at his big sister, Scott warily considered the question. After a moment he stepped away from the tree and looked up at his mother and aunt. "Maybe we could get a taller one," he suggested.

Lisa bit back a smile. "If you think that's best," she said, struggling to keep laughter from her voice.

Chewing on his bottom lip Scotty gave the thought another once over before nodding with certainty. "Yeah, I think a taller one is better," he stated matter of factly.

Unable to contain it any longer, a smile spread across Lisa's face. "Well then…let's go find a taller one," she stated, waving her hand towards the herds of other trees further up the aisle. With that Scotty was off.

Looking up at her aunt, Grace gave her a winning smile. Lisa eyed the 7 year old closely. "You're too smart for your own good," she stated through a smirk.

Grace shrugged and pulled her hat on tighter to her head. "That tree was too ugly for your pretty house," she remarked calmly, "And Scotty is still small enough to fool; I'm taking advantage of that while I still can," she explained simply.

"Grace Marie!" Karen admonished at the 7 year olds response. "Your little brother is only 4 years old!" she reprimanded.

Placing a hand on her hip, Grace sighed dramatically. "Yeah, I know! I only have about a year left. Before ya know it he'll be in school and then I won't be able to get anything past him," she declared matter of factly.

Rolling her eyes skyward, Karen sighed. "Just…go and help him find a tree," she grunted, "and leave the mind games out of it," she called after the little girl as she ran toward the other end of the tree lot.

Taking the hand that she had placed over her mouth to keep her from laugh aloud, Lisa let her laughter cloud the air in front of her.

"You find that funny, do ya?" her sister asked, heading off in the direction the kids had taken.

Still laughing, Lisa nodded.

"Good, when she's a teenager I'll send her to live with you then," Karen smiled.

Suddenly the head of the very child whom they spoke poked out between two trees a few feet away from them. "Auntie Lisa, we found the perfect one!" Grace called out excitedly.

"Okay," Lisa acknowledged.

Rolling her eyes a bit, Gracie sighed. "Well hurry up before someone takes the only good one here!" she stated.

Grinning widely at the little girl whom she loved so much, Lisa shooed her with a wave. "I'm coming! Go guard this national treasure of a tree," she directed.

Nodding her head seriously, Gracie ducked between the branches and was gone.

Shaking her head in amazement, Karen glanced over at her sister. "On second thought, why wait till she's 13, I can have her packed tonight," she sighed.

Spotting the half smile on her sister's face, Lisa began to giggle. Before long both women were laughing, their melodious sound filling the crisp morning air like a song.

**********

"So we just need peanut butter and a bag of Hershey's Kisses right?" Karen confirmed as she shrugged on her gray wool coat.

Looking up for the bowl in front of her, Lisa glanced quickly at the recipe book to her right. "Yeah I think that's it. Oh and don't forget to stop at King and I for the take out."

"Me forget Thai food? Right! I haven't had a meal that doesn't come with a fries and coke since you and I went out a couple of months ago," she grumbled grabbing her purse from the counter.

Chuckling, Lisa wiped her hands on a dishtowel. "Don't worry, someday the kids will grow up and stop out voting your dinner choice in favor of McDonald's," she smiled.

Giving her a look that said, "yeah right," she quickly pulled on her hat and turned for the door. Stopping next to the sofa, she planted kisses to the top of each of her kid's heads. "I'll be back in a bit, be good," she instructed. Without taking their eyes off the images of Charlie Brown and his tree as they played out on the TV screen, both kids numbly mumbled, "I will."

Giving Lisa a final wave, Karen turned and disappeared into the front entry.

Hearing the front door close, Lisa looked down into the ceramic bowl in front of her and the half mixed batch of Peanut Butter Blossoms she and her sister had begun to make before realizing they were missing two critical ingredients. Giving the mixture a final poke with a fork, she picked the bowl up and headed for the fridge. Having depositing the fork in the sink and the bowl on a the shelf, she stopped on her way to the living room to check the temperature gage on one of the three heaters her brother in law's labors had dropped off that morning. Pumping their electric heat into the kitchen, living room and bedroom, her home far from toasty warm, but 60 was still better than the 35 it had gotten to earlier that morning. Satisfied that the heater was working properly, she tugging her sweater closer to her body and padded off into the living room just as Charlie Brown and his gang began loo looing to the tune of Hark the Herald Angle's Sing. Placing her hands on the back the couch, she crouched over it to peek at Grace and Scott. "So, what did you think?" she asked nodding at the TV as the credits rolled.

"His tree really was pretty in the end," Gracie confessed softly, her eyes down turned.

Lisa tilted her head at the little girl's honesty. Sharp as a whip and with a tongue just as pointed, she was always glad to see the capacity she also head for understand her short comings and seeing the other side of situations.

"I liked Snoopy's decorations on his dog house," Scotty stated, not picking up on his sisters admission.

Placing a hand on his head, his aunt gave it a ruffle. "Me too, but they looked even better on the tree didn't they?" she asked.

Nodding his head in agreement, Scotty looked up at her. "When we gonna put up your tree?" he asked excitedly.

"Well…" she said slowly, "I was going to suggest you two put in the Grinch while I go out to the garage to get the decorations. When your mom gets back we'll get started." Lisa said through a smile.

Getting up to stand on the sofa in front of her, Scotty bounced up and down. "I can help you carry decorations!" he said excitedly. "I'm strong," he said flexing his arm to show off his tiny mucle.

Biting back a smile, Lisa gave the small bicep an obligatory squeeze. "You're right, it's HUGE," she grinned. "But your boots are still wet from this morning. So, why don't you," she said lifting up the blanket he had just tossed off, "cuddle here under the blanket and watch the Grinch and then you can help me with unpack the boxes later," she offered as a compromise.

Giving her a calculating look that was a comical as it was cute, Scotty finally nodded in agreement and flopped back down onto the sofa. Leaning down, Lisa pecked his cheek before turning to her niece. "The DVD is on the shelf, do you need my help finding it?" she asked.

Hopping up, Grace went over to stare at the small collection of DVD's that lined one of the bookshelves in Lisa's living room. "Nope I've got it," she said, easily plucking the case from the shelf.

As the opening notes of the movie begun, Lisa turned for the entry where she had left her boots earlier. "Okay darlings, I'll just be in the garage if you need me," she said over her shoulder. Both small head bobbing in understand, she turned into the entry and quickly dressed herself in her outer wear.

********

Stepping out onto her front porch, Cuddy paused a moment to let her eyes adjust to the bright sunlight reflecting off the knee high snowdrifts in her front yard. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath of the crisp air and reveled in unusual silence that filled her neighborhood. She loved moments like this when world around her seeming silent, white and calm. So much of her life was anything but those things. Her days often passed in blurs of color, noise and stress, so she treasured moments such as this probably more the most. Finally lifting her eyelids, Lisa let out a luxurious sigh before heading down the steps of her porch.

Cutting across her lawn, Lisa made her way through the deep snow towards her garage. She had considered going around on the sidewalk that her yard service had diligently cleared earlier that day, but the clean, unsoiled crust of snow in her front yard seemed to call out to her and she had answered. Making her way towards the garage, the cold seeped though her jeans to her legs, prompting her to move more quickly. 'When does a person grow out of frolicking in the snow,' she wondered. She often watched Grace and Scott play for hours in yard, how is it they didn't freeze, but one quick trip across her yard had her shivering? Shrugging off the thought, she quickly stomped her feet clean of loose snow on the driveway as she turned the knob on the side door of the garage.

Stepping into the dark, Lisa reached blindly for the button to raise the garage door. Finally locating it, she gave it a tap and headed for the storage lockers in the back of the room. As she pulled open the doors and began rummaging thought the boxes and totes stacked inside, familiar rubble slowly filtered into the garage and into her consciousness growing louder by the second. Yanking a tote off the bottom shelf she felt her body tense as the roaring engine made a turn into her driveway. Peeking out of the corner of her eye, she watched as the tall and lanky form cut the engine off then carefully dismounted onto the pavement of her driveway. Turning her back to his approaching form, Lisa yanked at heavy box labled 'Holiday Décor." in the back of the closet, cursing all along at the now familiar stirring in the pit of her stomach.

Suddenly House was at her side. "What are you trying to do, bust a spleen?" he asked.

Lisa jumped at his voice then cursed herself silently for it. 'When did he learn to move around so quietly?' she wondered. Craning her neck back to look up at him, she suddenly realized how close he was to her. Trying to take a step back, she bumped into the door behind her. Finding no escape from his proximity, at least not one that wouldn't mean brushing past him, Lisa firmed up her stance placing her hands on her hips. "What are you doing here House?" she demanded evenly.

Without answering, House hooked his cane on his wrist then reached past her to pull the box she had been struggling with from the shelf.

Lisa stared at him for a moment a little taken aback by his behavior. Shaking it off, she reached to take the cardboard carton from him. "Well?" she asked, placing her hands on each side of the box and giving it a tug.

As in all things, House was unrelenting. Taking a step back, he moved the box from her grasp then tuned about and slow limped towards the exit.

Slacked jawed, Lisa watched his retreating back in shocked silence. Finally find words, she scurried after him. "House, were are you going?" she demanded.

Stopping in the middle of her driveway, he glanced back at her. "Taking this into the house," he said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Lisa shook her head, "Why do you think I want it there?" she asked hotly, placing her hands on her hips.

Grinning crookedly, House turned and headed back down the driveway.

Finally coming in step behind him, Lisa grabbed the sleeve of his leather jacket. "House!" she nearly shouted.

Grunting with frustration, he looked down at her. "The box says its holiday decorations and seeing as its 3 degrees out here, I highly doubt you're out here just rearranging the garage," he stated crisply. "Now do you want me carry this in or not?" he asked bluntly.

Squinting at him, Lisa shook her head and a finger at him. "Not until you tell me why you're even here," she insisted.

Rolling his eyes dramatically he nodded to the backpack hang off his right shoulder. "Brought you your evidence or lack there off. It's not Cushing's, I need a biopsy," he stated, moving once again down the sidewalk towards her walkway.

Closing her eye's she sighed. "Thought you needed to drill a hole in her head to confirm Cushing's," she finally retaliated as she moved to join him on the walk up to the house.

Climbing the steps of her porch, House paused and waited for her to open the front door. Lisa stopped short of it and stared up at him expectedly. "It's freezing out here Cuddy, and the file's in my bag…mind if we do this in the house where it's not freezing and I'm not holding a 50 pound box of menorah's and dradles?" he snarked.

Blowing out a long breath, she felt her resolve slipping. He clearly had other motives for coming to her house. He could have called to annoy her about a procedure on the phone or as he often did, simply could have by passed her all together and bullied Chase into doing it without authorization. No, he obviously had other reasons for being here and honestly after the weird end to their phone conversations earlier that day, she was curious to see what they were. "Fine," she grumbled pushing on the door, "But you best be on your best behavior, my niece and nephew are here!" she warily warned, stepping into her foyer.

An eyebrow raised, House followed her into the house. "Niece and nephew? I didn't know your sister had spawned," he returned flippantly.

Lisa rolled her eyes and shut the door. "House…for someone who 'knows' people, you can be really dense sometimes," she grunted pulling her boots off. "I've had pictures of them on my desk for years!"

Setting the box on the floor, he shrugged. "Oh, I thought those were the pictures that came with the frames," he lied, a sliver a smile creeping onto his face.

Seeing the smirk, Lisa groaned and threw a glove at him. "House I swear…" she mumbled.

Side stepping the projectile, House shrugged then turned back to open the front door once again.

"I thought there was a file you wanted me to look at?"

Slipping his backpack off his shoulder, House unceremoniously tossed it at her feet. "It's in there," he said stepping over the threshold and onto the porch.

Grabbing the door as it began to swing closed, Cuddy stared at him in confusion. "Where are you going?"

Glancing back at her, House lifted his cane in the direction of the garage. "That other box of holiday crap, you want that inside too right?" he asked, making his way down the steps.

Blinking blankly at his odd behavior, all she could muster was a weak nod. With that he was off and down the walkway. For a long moment she stood stone still watching him limp towards the garage. House was voluntarily helping her? God, he must have maimed, or worse yet, killed his patient, her mind jumped. Letting go of the door, she turned quickly to the bag he had tossed in her direction. Picking it off the floor she moved out of the cold foyer and into the dining room. Bring the backpack to the large mahogany table in the center of the room, Lisa quickly pulled back the zipper and took out the blue patient file from within. Pulling out a chair she sat down and began flipping through the notes and test results.


End file.
